


Unexpected

by CouchCoach



Category: The Facts of Life
Genre: Abuse, Domestic Violence, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:02:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 77,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21817084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CouchCoach/pseuds/CouchCoach
Summary: It's been about five years since Mrs. Garrett and her girls have all been under one roof. Their lives have all taken different paths. When one of them is in trouble, she'll need to learn to put her trust in the people that love her and accept some truths about herself along the way. Trigger Warning: This story touches upon domestic violence.
Relationships: Jo Polniaczek/Blair Warner, Jo Polniaczek/Original Character(s)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

**AN: The Facts of Life aired for the first time forty years ago. Toward the end of the series, Jo married Rick, Blair became the Headmistress of Eastland, and during the reunion movie Jo was still married to Rick and had a daughter. That being said, I wanted to try my hand at a Jo/Blair Romance Story. In order to do so I had to change a few things to the storyline. Like, no Rick and no children for Jo in this timeline. Also, I am having the story pick up about five years after Blair became Headmistress of Eastland. However, the show ended over thirty years ago and to write it with today's technology I am taking liberties of making it a 2019 story, just with the characters only aging five years from when the series ended. If we could only do that in real life!**

**Lastly, I am trying something different with the characters and what their usual roles are in regard to the storyline as it touches upon the sensitive subject of domestic violence.**

**Trigger Warning: This story touches upon Domestic Violence. Please read at your discretion.**

* * *

"Jo!" Blair excitedly called through the phone when the woman in question actually picked up her call. She had been calling her almost daily for the past few months, but each time, Jo would either send her to voicemail on the first ring or pick up and then quickly hang up. She had gotten so worried at one point she had driven to Jo's brownstone, only to be told by her new boyfriend that the woman wasn't home. He explained that she had been called away on a work assignment in another state. Blair convinced herself that that was the reason for the lack of telephonic communication between them. The brunette was just promoted to detective a year ago and it was probably a last minute special assignment which Jo couldn't talk about.

"Hey Blair."

Blair furrowed her eyebrows at the unusual whispered greeting, plus, something was just off about Jo's voice.

"Jo, are you alright? I've been worried sick."

Jo closed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm alright...it's just...work, you know?"

Blair nodded even though the brunette couldn't see her.

"I've missed you," the brunette continued to whisper.

Blair smiled brightly. "I've missed you too, stranger." She chuckled.

"Jo?" She worriedly spoke after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"I'm still here," was the quiet response to assuage the blonde's concern.

"Hey, Nat and Tootie are coming for Christmas break to my place. Will you be able to make it? Are you back from your assignment?"

"Uh...no. I'm...it's just not a...a good time right now, Blair."

"Oh."

Jo shook her head at the disappointment in the blonde's voice.

"I understand." Blair masked her sadness. "It's hard being the rookie," she reasoned.

"Yeah," she whispered again.

"Well, we um...we'll miss you."

"Me too," the brunette's voice cracked. She prayed to God that Blair didn't catch it.

Blair caught it. "Jo, I...I love you."

"Me too," was the whimpered reply.

"Jo, I'm your best friend and I know something's off. Something's wrong. Please Jo...whatever it is. Let me help. Let me know what's going on," her voice was desperate, hurried. She hadn't been able to speak to or see the woman in months. Something in her heart told her Jo was in trouble.

"Nothing's wrong, alright. And don't start your snooping and your butting in. Just...just stay away Blair. Just stay away!"

"Jo?!" Before the blonde could even finish saying her name, the brunette had angrily hung up.

"Jo? Jo?!" Blair pulled the phone away from her ear only to find the call had ended. She stubbornly dialed right back.

"Now you listen to me Joanna Marie Polniaczek, I know something is…oh, Robert I...I was just talking to Jo. I thought…"

"I see. Will you uh, let her know I called back? Thank you." Blair hung up. She let out an anxious sigh. She had this sick feeling in her stomach and for some reason, she really wasn't a fan of Jo's new boyfriend, Robert Gray.

* * *

"Your little whore called you back," Robert stated after he hung up with Blair. "I thought I told you I didn't want to see you talking to her ever again."

"She's not a whore!" came the ballsy reply from an upset Jo. _He_ made her hang up.

She knew as soon as she mouthed off that it was a big mistake as Robert got up and roughly grabbed her by the neck.

"You don't like it when I talk about her, do you?" Her back hit their bedroom wall as Robert slammed her body into it. "DO YOU?!"

Jo's eyes were filled with fear as tears sprang to them, but she was a fighter. She struggled against his hold. She hated when Robert would taunt her about Blair.

"Answer me you dyke!" A heavy hand landed across Jo's face. "Huh? You don't like it when I talk about your little girlfriend?"

As Robert slapped her, Jo was able to free herself and landed with a thud on the ground. She crawled backwards, away from her menacing boyfriend. Her fiery eyes never once left his gaze.

The man was out of breath as Jo would always put up a good fight. He went after her, but stopped midway, breathing heavily as he spoke, "It's bad enough everyone at work thinks you're a dyke, you gotta go out of your way to prove it and embarrass me? If I catch you talking to her again, it's not going to be pretty...for either of you."

Jo swallowed thickly.

"Sad part is...she doesn't even feel the same way about you, Jo. I don't…" He approached Jo and bent down as he stuck his hand out to stroke her hair, the woman instinctively flinched. "It's alright, honey. I'm not gonna hurt you. You think I like hurting you?" He pulled her to her feet and led her to the bed.

Jo was shaking like a leaf.

"Jo, I just...I don't understand this sick obsession. God doesn't like it, sweetie. And your mother, what would she say? If you could just behave...everything could go back to how it was at the beginning. Can you...can you do that for me, honey?"

Jo nodded as tears ran down her eyes. Her usually bright green orbs were dulled. No spirit or fight left in her.

"That's good. That's real good. I love you. Okay?" he spoke quietly.

Jo nodded once again, sick at her own gutlessness.

"I have work. I'll be home tomorrow morning." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, the same one that was bright red from the slap he had given her earlier. Anyone looking in would think he was being a supportive, loving boyfriend. Most women would probably say Jo had a 'catch' for a mate. He was tall, tanned skin, muscular build, blue eyes, jet black hair, smart, charming, and had a good career. He didn't seem like an 'abuser'.

"I'd better take this." He grabbed her cell phone. "Wouldn't want you to feel tempted. I want us to try to have a nice day tomorrow."

"What if they call me from work?" came the whispered question. Her voice numb and void of any emotion.

"I'll tell them I accidentally took your phone and that I'll just run over here and pick you up. They'll understand. Bye sweetie." With that he was out the door.

Jo sat there, silent tears streaming down her face as she listened to Robert meandering around their living room grabbing his keys, his badge, his gun, and probably placing coffee in a tumbler to go. When she knew Robert was long gone a choked sob escaped her as she laid herself in bed in the fetal position. Rapid hiccupped cries leaving her body.

* * *

**Domestic Violence Quote: "It doesn't matter how rich or poor a person is, what gender or social class, or how much fame or education she possesses. Verbal, mental, and physical abuse can happen to anyone. It doesn't matter what a woman's ethnicity is because the only distinguishing color of abuse is black-and-blue."**

**La Toya Jackson, Starting Over**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

_**Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word** _

* * *

Jo's tear filled eyes stared up at her bedroom ceiling, her thoughts numb from her current situation. Robert lay next to her, his arm 'protectively' over her midsection. She closed her eyes at the irony. _Protectively_.

Her eyes opened once again. "Control," she whispered to herself.

He moved slightly at the mumble from Jo, but not much. She continued to stare at the ceiling as she allowed her mind to drift. Take stock of what her life had become. How she had allowed this to be her new 'normal' was hard for even her to gauge. She did not let men control her. Heck, most of the time, she had no use for them. And she would definitely scratch his eyes out if he ever tried that with one of her friends. She'd beat the crap out of him. She'd...she'd…

She was not the type of person that would allow a partner to ever lay their hands on her, but here she was...with him lying next to her after he…

She shook her head and willed the last twenty minutes of hell she had experienced away. She turned her back to Robert. The movement only caused him to let out a loud snore, but continue to sleep. She was relieved. The tears she had been holding back finally escaped her as she silently cried. She brought her hand up and wiped at her cheeks. She closed her eyes and tried to drift off and think of happier times...like the one just a mere nine months ago when she found herself in this similar position, lying next to someone in bed as their arm protectively laid over her midsection. Only this time it wasn't control it was...

"Love," she whispered to herself as her eyes became heavy with sleep.

_"You're snoring." Jo threw her arm back and nudged Blair. The blonde had come into the city for the day and had gotten caught in a terrible rainstorm, then her car's battery had died on her. So, she sought refuge at her best friend's apartment. Naturally._

_Jo would fix her car in the morning before work and Blair would be back home before lunch. But right now she and Jo were sharing the brunette's queen sized bed._

_"I do not snore," Blair responded haughtily._

_Jo just chuckled._

_"You've always had a problem with my breathing," the blonde followed up rather quietly, a hint of insecurity laced the statement._

_Jo smiled as she turned over to face what she was sure to be a pouting blonde. As she did, she couldn't help but allow her eyes to travel the length of the blonde's cherub looking face. The room was dark, but the soft light filtering in through the windows from the night sky allowed Jo to take in every beautiful feature. Yup, Blair was pouting and Jo found it to be down right adorable. She swallowed thickly at the last thought that escaped her. She quickly buried it, along with all the other similar thoughts she had had for the blonde the past few years._

_She tenderly ran a finger down Blair's nose. "I'm fine with you breathing...it's the noise that bothers me," Jo smirked, the casual insult a cover for her true feelings._

_Blair shook her head and pursed her lips, knowing full well that Jo was teasing her. "Whatever."_

_They shared a knowing smile._

_"Why you still awake?" Jo asked._

_"Why are you?" Blair playfully countered. "And don't say I was snoring," she warned._

_Jo shook her head. "You weren't…I just like busting your chops."_

_Blair made a face. Jo once again could only smile. Another 'inappropriate' thought filled her mind._

_"Are you worried about your mom?" Blair asked. Jo had called her up last week, upset. She told Blair that she and her mom had had an argument. When Blair had questioned the brunette for more details, as it was unlikely for Jo and her mother to fight, Jo had simply said it was personal and that she just needed Blair to be there for her._

_"It's…" Jo sighed. She looked away from Blair. She wanted to tell the blonde what she was feeling. Has been feeling. How scared she was about it all. How conflicted she was about it. But she didn't want to lose Blair. She already felt like she was losing her mother. She couldn't handle more people leaving her. Jo didn't let people in easily, so when she did, you'd better plan on staying around._

_Blair furrowed her eyebrows. When Jo started to speak, her eyes downcasted and she began to fiddle with the comforter. Living with the brunette for so many years, she knew when Jo was anxious about something._

_"What's the matter?" she worriedly asked as her hand caught the brunette's._

_Jo took in a nervous breath. Her sight drifted to her and Blair's hands. The blonde was now rubbing her thumb gently over her knuckles._

_Why did Blair always have to do that? Be so touchy feely. She hates it when the blonde does it. But she loves it...and that's what scares her._

_"Nothing…" Jo looked up to find a very concerned set of soft brown eyes staring back at her. "...just stressed about_ _work." She nodded, gave Blair a little smile, and then moved her hand away from Blair's touch._

_"Jo, you know you can tell me anything." Her hand came up to rub the brunette's shoulder._

_"Blair, I said it was work. Now drop it." She shrugged Blair's hand away and gave her a warningful glare. There she went again with the touching._

_"Fine." Blair threw her hands up in mock surrender. "Sheesh," the blonde mumbled and then turned face up to try to finally get some sleep._

_"I'm sorry," came the mumbled apology from Jo._

_Blair simply smiled as she turned over and scooted closer to Jo._

_"Why are you such a pain in my rear?" Jo teased._

_Blair playfully wiggled her eyebrows._

_"Go to bed. Some of us got work tomorrow," Jo playfully chastised._

_"Night Jo," Blair whispered as her head nestled closer to the brunette's._

_"Night Princess," Jo whispered back. She tried to mask the term of endearment to come off as more of an insult or a barb, as was their typical style, but in her heart, she knew...Blair was, is, and has always been her Princess._

* * *

_**Present Day** _

"Hi."

Detective Magda Ramirez sat at her desk. She was finishing up a report that she should've finished yesterday before going home. Her son was in a Christmas play, which had been running late for so she left work early and figured she'd come in today before her shift to get it done. While she silently read to herself, she felt someone approach her desk. She looked up to find a very overly enthusiastic blonde smiling at her.

"Hi," Magda greeted, a small smirk on her lips. The woman was carrying a box with what seemed to be a bunch of Christmas decorations. Magda, being a detective, was trained to quickly take in features and notice details. As she took in the young blonde before her, she noticed that she looked like a fish out of water. Out of place among the beat cops, detectives, and a handful of civilians.

Magda could tell the blonde was upper class. The way she carried herself, no denying it. Then there was her outfit. Her charcoal gray designer skirt suit, with red dress shirt, and red high heels...a stark contrast from Magda and her partner's usual discount store outfits of black pants, white button down shirts, and clunky black work boots.

"Do you know if this is Detective Polniaczek's desk?" the blonde asked her as she pointed her head to the desk right in front of Magda's own.

Detective Ramirez stared at the blonde in amusement, because she had an idea as to what the box of decorations was for and she really wanted to be around for when her partner, Jo, came in. "Oh, that's definitely hers."

"Thank you." The blonde flashed her a smile as she put the box down on Jo's desk. Magda leaned back in her chair, hands behind her head and just enjoyed herself as the winsome blonde got to work.

"Do you work closely with Jo?" Blair made small talk while still concentrating on the task at hand. She could feel the other woman's eyes on her.

Magda brought her hands from behind her head and rested them on her lap. "We're partners."

Blair stopped her movements and looked toward the woman who sat across from Jo's desk. "Oh. She never mentioned you were..." Blair stopped herself from finishing her statement. She was going to say, 'pretty', but thought better of it. Why would Jo speak of her partner's looks? Her female partner's looks. And yet, a pang of jealousy sat in the pit of Blair's stomach, because although Jo had never discussed Detective Ramirez's looks, she had certainly gone on and on about how great the woman was.

"A woman?" Magda erroneously guessed, a slight sharpness in her tone. "Is that a problem? Me being a woman detective?" She sat up straight and rested her arms on her desk, her fingers interlaced. The blonde, who seemed very opposite to Jo and not who Magda would picture as a friend for the brunette, had her full attention now.

Blair shook her head. "No," she whispered, slightly intimidated at the detective's sudden change in her stance.

Magda simply nodded. "Good."

Blair nodded back and then continued to decorate Jo's desk, a little disquieted at her exchange with Detective Ramirez. Truth was, there was something there beneath the surface, bothering Blair. Jo's partner was beautiful. Gorgeous. Her piercing honey colored eyes and soft olive skin. Gorgeous indeed. And she certainly had more in common with Jo than Blair ever could. Same career choice. They probably talked about cases all day long. They must spend a lot of time together. Blair knew how things worked. She had read a study not so long ago. It was about how co-workers would spend more time together than they did with their own families. Surely with a job as stressful as this one, their bond must be forged even more. Maybe this was the reason for Jo's sudden behavior of shutting Blair out lately.

"Hey…" Magda gave the blonde a small smile. She could tell she had scared her a bit. "I didn't mean anything by the question. Just around here...female detectives are scarce. I always have my guard up. I'm sorry."

Blair returned the smile. "No apology needed. If anything, I'm sorry. It's just...well...Jo's been so busy lately, I feel like I hardly know anything about her anymore."

Magda nodded. "You two know each other a long time?"

Blair felt a twinge in her heart, did Jo not talk about her at work?

"Uh yes…" Blair continued with the task at hand, but for some irrational reason, the fact that Jo's partner had no idea who she was...hurt. She didn't want the detective to notice just how much. "We've been best friends for about fifteen years, but if you ask Jo she'll say thirteen."

Magda chuckled. The genuine laugh allowed Blair to let her guard down as she and the detective smiled at each other.

"Wait...you're Blair!" Madga excitedly pointed at the blonde.

"The one and only," Blair smiled. "I take it Jo's mentioned me then?" She haughtily tossed her blonde locks back over her shoulders, secretly happy that Jo had mentioned her to her partner.

Magda held back an amused smirk. "Yes, she's uh...she's definitely talked about you. But I...I actually remember you now, or at least your name."

Blair furrowed her eyebrows.

Magda continued, "You're the one that donated all the new, higher level strength, lighter, more breathable, bullet proof vests to the department on Jo's first day."

Blair's cheeks reddened. Jo had her head for that little stunt. She didn't care though. If Jo insisted on such a dangerous job, she wanted her to have the best protection.

"Thanks. They've definitely come in handy around here," Magda said, remembering how they'd saved two officers' lives just three weeks ago. A lot of their equipment was outdated and funds for new ones were hard to come by sometimes.

Blair nodded as she placed the finishing touches on Jo's desk. She stood back and admired her work. She had placed a small Christmas tree, about twelve inches high, in the far right corner of Jo's desk, behind her phone. The compact tree was decorated with small red and silver ornaments and garland. She also bought a miniature set of battery operated Christmas lights, which she strung around the scaled tree. She left an extra pack of batteries by the base of the tree, in case Jo needed to replenish. She put a small red tree skirt around the base as well and then placed faux mini gift wrapped boxes underneath. The rest of the desk was left fairly untouched, except for a single row of red garland that adorned the front and sides. Lastly, she hung a medium sized wreath over the front of the desk.

"It looks nice," Magda stated as she got up and stood behind Blair. She could tell the blonde was second guessing herself.

Blair turned and sadly smiled at the woman. "Thank you. I...I was just thinking I don't want Jo to be teased for the decorating and...maybe this was a stupid idea." Blair began to hastily untie the garland from the right side of Jo's desk.

"Hey," Magda stopped her hands. "It's great...and Jo's going to love it. She loves Christmas."

"I know, but...she's the only one with a decorated desk. I don't want to upset her. She's so busy lately...she might not..."

"Blair…" Magda placed a comforting hand on Blair's shoulder. "You're very special to Jo. Trust me. And yes, lately she has been...busy...but I know coming in and finding a surprise like this, from you. She's going to love it."

Blair smiled at the reassurance from Jo's partner. Truth was she had always known how much Jo loved Christmas, and the fact that this year she wouldn't be around to celebrate it with her family and friends had Blair concerned. She wanted this to be a nice surprise for Jo. She only hoped that it would be. She looked at her watch. "Do you know what time Jo usually comes in?"

"Uh, she's not due for another hour or so, but she's been a little sporadic with her times lately," Magda admitted.

"Oh...I wanted to see her, but...I have a staff meeting back at school. I'd have to leave now if I want to make it on time." Blair glanced at her watch once again. It was the last staff meeting before school closed for the rest of the winter holiday. She began to gather her things to go and then asked the detective for a special favor, "Would you mind giving this to Jo?"

Magda took the red envelope addressed to her partner. "I'll get it to her."

Blair gave her an appreciative nod and smile. "Thank you." With that she was gone.

* * *

Jo stepped out of the shower and onto the plush bath mat just in front of the tub. She grabbed the towel that hung from the chrome rack. On autopilot, she went through the motions of drying herself. She was careful with her movements, especially between her legs, around her abdomen, and her upper arms. She didn't even notice anymore, how she would slow at certain parts of her body, dabbing instead of rubbing. Last night had been an exceptionally difficult night. She let out a woeful laugh at the irony of last night. Months ago she'd told her mother she thought she liked women instead of men, only to be told by her mother that women liking women was a sin. An abomination. Love...an abomination? And now, here she was, practically living with a man...out of wedlock. If the bastard just kind of moved in without her permission...would she still go to Hell? She guessed it didn't matter much, she still had 'inappropriate' and 'sinful' thoughts about women...one in particular...so Hell was in her future regardless.

She didn't fight him much anymore...it was best that way. She wondered if that meant he wasn't in the wrong...you know, because she would no longer put up a fight when Robert would impose things on her? She wondered if her mother would find living with Robert less sinful? Living with a man who beats the crap out of you? Don't fret, absolution granted...you can make it right. Just get married to him and ask for forgiveness. Liking a woman...who would probably do anything in her power to make sure you were loved? Will still be a sin fifty years from now. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars...or in Jo's case, get into Heaven. She let out another depreciative laugh and hung up her towel as she stepped into her slippers.

Her feet dragged as she walked toward the vanity. The mirror just above it was fogged more than usual. She had used extra hot water this morning. She used her hand to wipe away the condensation from the glass. She stood there, staring at herself. Her skin was red, raw. She didn't know what to blame it on, the heat from the shower she just took, or her excessive scrubbing with the loofah. It didn't matter...his smell was still on her. It was impregnated in her nose. No matter how hot the water, or how rough she washed and scrubbed...it never went away.

A tired sigh escaped her as she turned from the mirror and began to get herself ready for work. It wasn't as simple as getting dressed. She had to make sure to wear something that wouldn't piss off Robert. Not too tight. Not too butch. Not too revealing. Don't show your bruises and scratches. She let out a weary laugh, if Blair could see her now...she was finally concerned about her looks for once, except...Blair would be heartbroken at the reason. A tear escaped her. She angrily wiped it. Crying wasn't going to do her any good. Robert had been a way to keep her mother happy, to convince her that she wasn't an abomination, but now she felt lonely...like she just wanted to go be with God already. She could do it… easily… one quick shot with her own gun, but then she wouldn't go to Heaven...she couldn't do that to God or to her mother. She couldn't.

* * *

Blair rolled her eyes as she heard her front door open. "Don't you ever knock?"

Dani stopped dead in her tracks. "What's the point of an emergency key if I can't use it?" the curly haired brunette advised.

"It's not a communal emergency key. It is a key I leave in the secret rock outside for emergencies...my emergencies."

"Yes, and you keep hiding it on me." Dani jumped over the back of Blair's couch and plopped right next to the blonde. Blair huffed as their faces were now mere inches apart.

"Jump over the back of my couch again and I will hurt you," Blair threatened.

"You know Snoots, one day you're going to have a real emergency on your hands and you will have wanted us to trade house key copies. Mark my words. I will have no qualms about saying I told you so."

"I'll take my chances," Blair said as she went back to fill out the rest of her crossword puzzle. She had always loved them when she was younger, courtesy of spending so much time alone as a child in her father's study while he worked. He would never let a day go by without filling it out. It soon became their thing. The only difference was now she would work them on a tablet versus an actual newspaper.

A small smile graced her lips at the intimate memory. Time with her father was few and far between, so she cherished every minute earnestly.

"What are you doing here at this hour anyways?" Blair asked her young neighbor, effectively changing the subject and not allowing any semblance of melancholy to slip through. She'd have to remember to call her father later.

"Work let out early, and no classes due to winter break so…" Dani shrugged.

"And Avery?" Blair asked about Dani's eighteen month old niece.

"James is supposed to bring her to me later. He's going to be gone right after New Year's for a few weeks so he's spending as much time as he can with her."

Blair nodded.

James was Dani's brother and Avery's father. The single father had been widowed just seven months ago. His sister and Blair had really stepped up to help him at this very difficult time in his life.

Blair had met the Sanchez siblings long before Dani had become her neighbor. Dani had just turned twenty one a few months ago, and had bought the house next door to Blair's, but had been a student at Eastland ever since her parents had passed away when she was just twelve years old. The Sanchez family had money and they had made sure to leave Dani and James in care of a distant cousin in their Will, the only living relative on their mother's side that hadn't disowned the woman when she married into 'poverty'. The Sanchez siblings were left with enough funds for housing, food, scholastics, extra curriculars, and anything else that may have come up. The cousin had no need for the children, they were foisted on her, so they were immediately shipped off to boarding school. As long as she was their guardian, she would still receive a monthly salary for their tutelage. Only problem was, the boarding schools were the ones doing all the caring for the two siblings.

"Hey, did you go meet your friend today?" Dani asked as she made herself at home by grabbing the remote control and turning on Blair's TV.

"I did, but...she wasn't in the office yet. I just decorated, left to get everything settled at Eastland, then came home." 

Dani, who's attention was on the TV, turned to meet Blair's gaze. "Why didn't you wait for her? I'm sure old 'Saddle-Bags' would've gotten everything settled at Eastland just fine."

"Stop insulting my staff!" Blair warned. Dani had gotten into plenty of trouble during her days at Eastland, mostly for her cheeky comments. One of her first victims was one Blair Warner, new Headmistress. Five years ago when Blair became the Headmistress at Eastland, she met sixteen year old Dani. Dani had started to get into some trouble and Blair quickly figured out that the girl just needed a loving and trustworthy adult in her life. She smiled slightly at the thought. She was Dani's version of Mrs. Garrett. Blair was very motherly toward the young woman, even though she was only nine years older than her.

"I uh...had lots to do at the school and I just couldn't wait," Blair shrugged.

She honestly didn't know how to explain it to Dani. Something was going on with Jo, Blair was sure of it. She was determined to get to the bottom of it too. Jo was...Jo had a strong personality...and had been known to run from her problems when she was younger. Something that, with love and patience from Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Tootie and Natalie, the brunette had learned to stop doing. Throughout the years, Blair had learned the hard way that you have to respect Jo's privacy and her space in order to not be on the receiving end of her wrath. It was the only way to actually get close enough to help her. Blair would get to the bottom of what was really happening with Jo. She couldn't help but worry about the woman, but she would also be careful not to upset Jo in the process. That could mean that Jo would run...and Blair couldn't afford to have that happen.

"I'm starting to think all these photos of you and her together…" Dani signaled around the living room at a few, "...are really just you photoshopping yourself with your so called 'best friend'."

One of Blair's fancy decorative couch pillows hit the side of Dani's head. "Ouch!" the young brunette complained.

Blair had playfully hit Dani after the younger woman had made air quotes, implying she thought Jo was a made up person.

"Oh come on, I didn't even do it that hard." Blair teased.

"Do you hear yourself? _That_ hard?"

Blair grinned. "Here, let me kiss it and make it better."

"Don't." Dani chuckled as she playfully slapped Blair's hands away. "I can see why 'Jo' stays away."

Blair opened her mouth in mock offense. "Not nice." She laughed lightly. "Now, if you're over yourself, what's a seven letter word for pink?"

"Isn't that cheating?" Dani raised a questioning eyebrow, still rubbing her head. "Which I seem to remember you have a problem with," she advised recalling one of the times she was caught helping a friend cheat on a test at Eastland.

"You know, I'm sure the TV at your place works just like mine," Blair spoke without glancing away from her crossword.

Dani rolled her eyes. "The singer or the color?"

"What?" Blair looked up.

"Pink...the singer or the color?"

"The...color," Blair trailed off a little unsure.

"Magenta," Dani grumbled as she rubbed her head. "Can people get concussions from pillows?"

"...n...t...a." Blair checked to make sure Dani's answer would fit. It did. "Thank you." Blair, ever proper, expressed her gratitude, completely ignoring Dani's grievance about concussions.

"What if I fall into a coma?" Dani argued.

"Then I won't have to worry about you not knocking anymore." Blair purposefully didn't peer up from the tablet.

Dani chuckled and Blair finally met her gaze. She and Dani shared a smile as the younger woman shook her head at the blonde. Blair gave her a tender wink.

* * *

As Jo walked to work, she tried to mask her limp. Her legs and back were on fire from last night. This morning had been no picnic either. She had to wake up Robert to give her access to her own safe. Every night, when she got home, he would lock up her gun, car keys, driver's license, and badge. Then he'd make her beg and plead for them in the morning. It was embarrassing, humiliating. She felt like a teenager on restriction. _Asshole!_

"I'm sorry I'm late," she told Magda as soon as she walked in.

Magda looked up surprised. Jo was about twenty minutes late for their actual shift. "No worries. Nothing really happening this morning. Just cleaning up reports." She motioned to the mess of papers sprawled about her desk.

Jo nodded and then turned to sit at her own desk. Magda sat back and smiled waiting for Jo's joyful reaction once the brunette spotted the decorations Blair had left her, only it never came.

Jo anxiously darted her eyes around the room trying to figure out who had made her desk look like Christmas exploded on it.

"Hhh...how...hhh...who?" her voice squeaked and she hurriedly began to pull at the decorations and started tossing them in the trash can near her desk.

"Jo." Magda got up and tried to intercept the small tree that was about to be dumped into the trash receptacle. "Jo…" She grabbed the young woman's hands.

"He...he can't see...he can't…" Jo struggled against Magda's grip.

"JO!" Magda yelled, effectively stopping Jo's movements.

"Who can't see, sweetie?" she whispered as she brushed back Jo's bangs.

Jo furrowed her eyebrows and focused her vision. Magda looked absolutely worried. The younger detective realized she had just made a spectacle. She swallowed thickly as her eyes darted around the room yet again. Prying glances were being shot her way and somehow all movement and noises had ceased, at least in her embarrassment, that's what she perceived.

She took in a calming breath and slowly removed herself from Magda's hold and sat at her desk, willing her peers to just go about their business once more. Seconds later, a phone rang a few desks over and was quickly answered by its occupant, an old copier resumed it's high pitched sound as it sucked up papers into it's feeder, one of the doors to the interrogation rooms slammed shut, fingers tapped and clicked against keyboards, and the humming sounds of all three vending machines made their way to Jo's ears. With her peripheral vision, she paid attention as her co-workers, including Ramirez, slowly went back to whatever they were doing before she had her little meltdown.

"Who…" Jo cleared her throat. "Who decorated?" Jo whispered her question to Magda, her eyes were downcast toward a file on her desk.

Magda looked up from her own papers, Jo still didn't gaze her way. "Your friend...the prissy one."

That got Jo to meet Magda's stare. "She's not prissy," Jo responded defensively.

Magda smiled, "Then how come you knew who I was talking about?" She teasingly winked at Jo.

"Whatever." The brunette rolled her eyes, as soon as she did it though, she nervously glanced toward the entrance. That type of playful behavior between her and other women is what Robert didn't like. He said it was flirty.

"When did she uh...come by?" She looked back at Magda while taking off her coat.

"A little before seven thirty this morning." Ramirez eyed her carefully.

Jo nodded, thankful that Blair had come this morning when Robert was nowhere in or around the precinct.

"Ramirez. Polniaczek. New assignment. Summit and 57th. The M.E. will meet you there," their Captain called from the doorway of his office.

"M.E.?" Magda questioned her Captain as she and Jo started to grab their guns, vests, badges, and jackets. They were General Crimes Detectives, not Homicide. The Captain had a tendency to give them cases involving women and children, seeing as they were his only two female detectives within the Department.

"Yeah, the victim is from one of your old cases. They suspect the ex-boyfriend killed her. Three orphaned kids need to be placed with next of kin. I need sensitivity on this one. If you need Homicide to get involved, let me know, but I think you guys got it no problem," he stated. Ramirez had been a Homicide Detective for years up until her son was born, and Polniaczek, at the beginning of her training, had helped out on several cold cases.

"Any questions?" he asked.

"No sir!" the women answered in unison.

"Good." With that his office door closed behind him.

Jo let out a sigh as she finished putting on her jacket. Today was not looking up.

"Hey." Magda grabbed her arm effectively stopping her from walking away. "You want your friend's decorations or not?"

Magda saw Jo's whole body become rigid. "I...I can't," was the dejected reply.

"I can have them put on my desk...that way you can still look at them," Magda whispered knowingly and Jo's eyes lit up.

Magda smiled at her partner, a silent understanding among them.

"Donaldson," Magda called one of the younger, female, beat cops. The young cop looked up and saw the veteran detective waving her over. She quickly made her way to Detectives Ramirez and Polniaczek.

"Donaldson, I need a huge favor."

The young cop nodded attentively.

"I need all these decorations back up and on my desk."

"Yes, Detective Ramirez." Donaldson got to work.

"If anybody asks, they're mine. And that's all you know. You don't know the who, the what, the when, the where, the how or the why. Capiche?"

"Yes, Detective."

"Good. I owe you Donaldson."

The young cop gave her a bashful smile. Magda patted her arm, then she and Jo headed out to Summit and 57th.

* * *

"Magda." Jo stopped the older detective while they were in the hall of the stairwell, making their way to the parking lot.

"Yeah?" The older woman turned to meet her gaze.

"Thank you for...you know."

Magda nodded as her eyes scanned Jo's face and neck, a faded, slightly pink scratch and a now greenish bruise that sat just above the woman's collarbone caught her attention. "Jo...we have to talk."

"Magda, I'm fi…" Jo began to protest as she saw where her partner's eyes had landed.

Magda held her hand up. "I wasn't born yesterday...and you are definitely not fine. I've been noticing things. You're always late now. Sometimes I'm talking to you and you're spaced out. You never talk to Blair anymore. I mean, she used to call you three times a day to check in on you… and those were the quieter days. Today, ripping her decorations like that? That's not you. Everything used to be, Blair this and Mrs. G that...and Tootie, and Natalie...and your mom. I...I felt like I knew them without knowing them. Then all of a sudden...radio silence?" She sighed. "Look, I know I can be tough sometimes, but...I care for you. We're partners, Jo...which means we have to have each other's backs. I have a seven year old son that I need to get home to everyday and I can only do that if you're giving me your all when you're here." She gave Jo a pointed stare.

"Look, right now we have a new case to start working on, but...we will talk…about this..." Magda worriedly whispered the last part as she reached out and slowly passed her finger over the faded bruise and scratch.

Jo simply nodded as she shamefully looked away.

"Come on." She lovingly grabbed the brunette's arm and held her close as they began walking toward their unmarked squad car.

"Jo? Just one question for now," Magda playfully spoke into her ear.

"What's that?" asked Jo, curious, but at ease and a little thankful since she noted the teasing tone in her partner's voice.

"How the hell are you and 'Blair..." she tossed her hair over her shoulders in an uncanny impression of the blonde, "...Princess Warner' friends?"

Jo chuckled. She had wondered the same thing so many times throughout the years. Every memory of her youth always attached to the beautiful blonde. Blair could sometimes work her last nerve, but she had also surprised her in more ways than one, by showing just how loyal and loving she was at her core.

A wistful smile graced her lips. "It's a long story," she thoughtfully murmured.

* * *

 **Domestic Violence Quote:** " **YOUR ABUSIVE PARTNER DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HIS ANGER; HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR ANGER. One of the basic human rights he takes away from you is the right to be angry with him. No matter how badly he treats you, he believes that your voice shouldn't rise and your blood shouldn't boil. The privilege of rage is reserved for him alone. When your anger does jump out of you—as will happen to any abused woman from time to time—he is likely to try to jam it back down your throat as quickly as he can. Then he uses your anger against you to prove what an irrational person you are. Abuse can make you feel straitjacketed. You may develop physical or emotional reactions to swallowing your anger, such as depression, nightmares, emotional numbing, or eating and sleeping problems, which your partner may use as an excuse to belittle you further or make you feel crazy."**

**Lundy Bancroft, Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

**_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word_ **

* * *

As Magda drove through the busy city street she cast a sideways glance toward Jo. They had left the crime scene about twenty minutes ago and the young woman had been rather silent ever since.

"I was thinking about stopping at that gas station with the deli...pick us up some lunch before we head back to the office?" She posed her question toward Jo, her eyes darting back and forth between the quiet detective and the road.

Jo turned her attention toward Magda. "I uh...I'm not very hungry." She shrugged.

Magda nodded, her eyes now completely focused on the traffic. "It's going to be a long day. If you're not hungry now, you will be later and we may not get another chance to put in an order. You know these murder cases are all consuming. What'dya say? My treat." She added the last part for good measure. That was another thing she had noticed about her partner lately, she was skipping most meals.

"Sure," Jo whispered as she closed her eyes and shook her head in disappointment and frustration at herself. _Wonderful, now I'm a charity case!_

"Great," Magda chirped as she threw a small smile toward Jo.

Jo raised her eyebrows, green eyes open wide, a resigned smile adorning her face as she nodded in agreement. Robert kept her bank and credit cards locked in the safe. Sometimes he'd give her a few bucks here and there, barely enough to buy a decent lunch, but enough to keep her quiet, in his mind at least. He would say that she was always complaining about her weight. That he would do it to help her. That she could afford to lose a few pounds by skipping a few meals. But that wasn't true. She'd never worried about her weight before. The logical, sensible part of Jo knew it was just another way he controlled her. Now she worried that people would notice how skinny she had gotten the last couple of months.

A few minutes later Magda pulled into the gas station. "Your usual?" she asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt and began to step out of the car.

"Yeah, thanks." Jo smiled dejectedly.

Magda nodded, closed the car door, and headed toward the gas station's store.

Jo let out a heavy sigh as she looked down and began to fidget with her hands. It was a habit she had always had, but never really did it much as she was never so nervous or unsure of herself as she had been these past few months. Today's events though, had her mind swirling. She hated today. They had gone to the new case their Captain had assigned to them. Seeing such a young woman, who only months ago was so vibrant and determined to escape her abusive boyfriend and seek a better life for her and her kids...well...it tore at Jo's core. It hit too close to home. And it scared her...more than she cared to admit. She didn't want to wind up the same way.

"Hey!"

"Oh, jeez!" Jo jumped back scared when Magda appeared back in the driver's seat, seemingly out of nowhere.

The older detective fell into a fit of laughter at the look on the younger woman's face. "I'm sor…I'm...sor...I can't..." She tried to apologize, but Jo's reaction was priceless. "You should...see your face," she howled.

"That's it. Laugh it up. You almost gave me a heart attack," Jo advised, her Bronx accent thickening all of a sudden, showing her irritation.

"I'm sorry. Really." Magda pursed her lips.

"Yeah, I can see that...real remorseful."

"Don't blame me if your stealthy ninja skills are slipping," The veteran detective playfully retorted as she imitated a karate chop.

Jo took in what Magda said and for some reason it bothered her. She knew the woman was joking, but yet the statement caused her anguish. Jo was a detective. She _should_ be more aware of her surroundings. She _should_ know when someone is approaching her parked car and opening the door. It seemed like nowadays she was consumed with worry about Robert's every move.

"Anyway," Magda spoke, seemingly unaware of Jo's inner turmoil. "They're making our sandwiches, but I forgot to give you this." She handed Jo a red envelope she pulled from her coat.

"Thanks." Jo grabbed the envelope. A small smile graced her lips when she saw the writing on the outside: _'To: Jo Polniaczek From: Blair Warner'._ Of course, ever the formal one, Blair would address it with their first and last names.

"I'm uh...gonna go check on our food," Magda stated, wanting to give her partner some privacy.

"Buuuuuut…" she followed in a teasing tone.

Jo looked up with a smirk. Jo had worked with the detective long enough to know when she was in one of her playful moods.

"When I get back," Magda continued. "I really want to hear about this unlikely best friend relationship you have with Princess Blair." Magda winked at her.

Jo nodded. "Deal." They shared a knowing smile and within seconds Magda was out of the car and headed back toward the gas station deli.

Jo waited till she saw her partner enter the store and then anxiously ripped open the envelope.

_'Dear Jo,_

_I know you don't do mushy stuff...so I will limit myself.'_ Jo let out a chuckle. She could almost picture Blair upturning her nose at the statement.

_'Can you believe I'm hosting Christmas this year? It's such a grown up thing to do. Now, I know you said you can't make it, but I want to let you know how much you'll be missed. I think it's important to tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us...and you, Jo Polniaczek, are very important to me. Just don't go around telling anybody, we both have images to uphold.'_

Another small laugh escaped the brunette as she wiped at a stray tear. "Oh Princess, I sure could use one of your hugs that I always pretended to hate right about now," she whispered to herself.

_'I just want to let you know that my house is your house...and if some space opens up in your day or you can escape work for a little while, we'll be here waiting for you. I know you are a woman of your word and take your responsibilities very seriously, and your job is very important to you, your family, the community, so if you can't make it, we'll understand...and I'll save you some leftovers. Don't worry, Mrs. Garrett is the one cooking the important dishes._

_P.S., don't think this means you get out of buying me a present. I will expect it the next time I see you. XOXO, Blair Warner'_

Jo let out another heartfelt laugh and a few more tears. She missed them, Blair, Natalie, Tootie, and Mrs. G. They were home. She missed home. She missed being around people that loved her. She hastily wiped her cheeks when she saw Magda approaching.

"Hey," Magda greeted as she got into the car and handed Jo her sandwich, chips, and drink.

"Thanks."

"No sweat. You okay?" Magda asked when she noticed Jo's red brimmed eyes.

"Yeah." Jo turned her face, embarrassed at being caught by Magda. "Just that damn letter from Blair. I tell her I hate the mushy stuff, and what does she do? I'm telling you, she never listens."

Magda chuckled. "Okay, so seriously. How did you two meet...or better yet, become friends? 'Cause, I just don't see it."

A wistful smile graced Jo's lips. "She's not so bad," she defended as she unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite. "Once you get to know her."

Magda laughed at the last part Jo added on. "Acquired taste, huh?"

Jo smirked toward Magda. "Something like that."

"So, give me the four-one-one, my friend. The scoop. The biz."

"What are you, twelve?"

Magda rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to cheer you up, Grumpy Gus."

"I know. Thanks." She smiled gratefully.

"So?" Magda pushed.

"Right, me and Blair. Where to begin…" Jo paused midway to take another quick bite of her sandwich as she searched her memory bank and tried to really remember when it was she really felt that she and Blair became friends. A small smile graced her lips as she remembered that as much as the blonde drove her mad, almost immediately, there was also something about her that...that stirred Jo in the deepest depths of her soul.

"Well uh…" she began her story. "We fought like cats and dogs from the very beginning. We met when we were teenagers. Fifteen."

Magda nodded as she took a sip of her juice.

"I hated everything about her. She drove me crazy. I mean, I grew up poor, in a rough neighborhood, with gang violence, my old man in jail, and a single mom that worked her butt off to give me the best she possibly could, which meant I didn't get nearly as much of her as I needed. I get into this fancy school and...Blair looked like she belonged on the brochure. I mean, she had this perfect life, never wanted for anything...or at least that's what I thought. Turns out we had a lot more in common than I could ever imagine. I don't know…she just..." Jo shook her head. A lot of other thoughts of when she first met Blair were making their way to the forefront, but she couldn't talk about those with Magda.

"Anyway, we got in trouble the first day I was there. I convinced her to steal the school van and go to a local bar with me. I made us fake IDs." Jo chuckled incredulously. "We were going to compete to see who was better at getting a man."

 _Men?_ On some level she always knew she didn't like them in _that way_. Yet, her strict Catholic upbringing, her changing body, and her own fears of people finding out the 'sinful truth' had led to her many erroneous decisions regarding the male species.

"So, who won, hot stuff?" Magda smirked.

"Ha ha." Jo shook her head, a smile on her face. "Let's just say, we both had to forfeit." She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Her guard was down and it was wonderful. It was freeing, if only for a few minutes.

"Forfeit? I couldn't imagine why? Two teenagers, under drinking age, in a bar, with fake IDs, what could go wrong?" Magda remarked with playful sarcasm.

Jo smirked. "We had to take Natalie and Tootie along."

"Wait a minute, if you and Blair were teeny boppers...how old were Natalie and Tootie? You said Natalie and Tootie were a few years younger than you guys, no?" Magda recalled this from their past conversations about Jo's friends.

"I know, but Tootie was always very...chatty."

Magda and Jo shared a laugh.

"She would've ratted us out. Blair said it was better to take her...and where Tootie went, so did Natalie. I'll say this though, the kid had spunk." Jo smiled to herself.

"Blair and I didn't realize an undercover cop was at the bar. He went to arrest us when he found out our real ages or, now that I think about it, he probably would've just called our parents. Of course, Tootie got really protective and poured a pitcher of beer on his head."

Magda chortled, "How old was she?"

"Gosh uh...twelve, I think. She was so little." Jo chuckled at the thought of a younger Tootie. "She had to stand on a chair to reach his head. She was brave though, didn't cry once, when we were in the cell. She sat there...tough as nails. Nat too." Jo smiled at the memory.

"And Blair?" Magda asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Blair?" Jo let out a huge laugh. "Blair was a different story." She shook her head as she remembered the blonde clinging to the door and asking to be let out.

"There was an older, much bigger woman in there with us. She wanted to take Blair's watch. Of course, I had to defend her. Told the lady to leave her alone. The lady then said something to the effect of 'cheap watch' or...I can't even remember…and genius Blair proceeds to defend her non-junky, five hundred dollar watch."

Magda was cracking up with laughter, her face was red and her eyes watery. "She didn't?!"

"Oh, but she did," Jo stated playfully with wide eyes.

"Lady goes for the watch again and of course I'm risking life and limb here to protect her…" Jo shook her head, even when Blair drove her crazy...she couldn't help caring for her.

"Well, I guess it ended well. You all made it out alive," Magda said.

Jo nodded. "Yeah, we did. Wanna know something?" she asked Magda, her voice reflective.

"What?" Magda tenderly replied. She loved seeing this side of Jo. The real Jo. The Jo she first met almost a year ago. It just reminded her that when the time was right, she'd have to get to the bottom of what's really going on with the brunette, but not now. She didn't want to ruin Jo's day.

"Honestly, it was one of the best things to ever happen to me, meeting them. We got in trouble and the choices were to get kicked out of school, or work in the cafeteria while living in the stuffy storage room above it. At fifteen it sounded like a death sentence, but...I would never trade that experience...the whole experience of having them in my life, for anything in the world."

"That's because that's what it is Jo," Magda said.

Jo furrowed her eyebrows. "What what is?"

"You're calling it an experience _in_ your life, but...it was your life... _is_ your life. You spent half of your life with Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Natalie and Tootie. It wasn't a fleeting moment. It made you who you are today, no?"

"Yeah." Jo nodded. "It did." Magda was right. It was her life. A life she cherished, yet, she was letting Robert _steal_ it away from her...little by little...day by day...till there would be nothing left.

"And you and Blair?" Magda's question brought Jo out of her thoughts.

"What about me and Blair?" She said a little too defensively.

"When did you really become friends? Because I got a feeling getting arrested and almost kicked out of school was not where you all forged your bestie bond. And that watch thing just put it over the top for me...I would've kicked her ass," Magda teased.

Jo chuckled. "Oh, I wanted to. But no, I guess...for as spoiled, and shallow, and vain as she can be…"

"Wow, what do you say about me behind closed doors?" Magda playfully retorted.

Jo smiled. "Hear me out."

Magda chuckled. "Sorry, go ahead."

"She...she's just...she's so loyal. She struggles to get there sometimes, but she always does. I guess when I really, really knew we would be friends was when we first started working in the cafeteria. Snooty, spoiled princess Blair Warner took her punishment without trying to have her rich daddy bail her out and...I respected that. Then what she did next was...I'll never forget it." Jo had a wistful smile on her face.

"There were these girls, one in particular, messing with me while I was cleaning up the dishes and tables after lunch...said stuff about my mom...and well...you met Blair."

Magda nodded.

"She's so proper...all the time. It's annoying...but...this time…" She smiled at the memory. "She pie'd the girl right in the face to defend me. It was awesome. Nobody had ever really stuck up for me like that, just for me, you know? Most people in my life didn't do things without wanting something in return. And here she was, risking getting in even more trouble. I never told her, but I knew then...this girl was going to be special in my life. And it wasn't the only time either...she always comes through."

Jo recalled when Blair almost decked that jerk, Harrison, for trying to hurt Jo on their date. He was supposed to be this classy guy. From a good family. He treated her like dirt that night. Like she was nothing. Blair wasn't having it. Or, the time the blonde sent in the application for Jo's scholarship and never once brought it up again. Or when she saved the community center Jo worked at from closing down.

"She...she just surprises me year after year, day after day," she whispered as the reality of her statement set in.

Magda smiled. "You know what?"

"What?" Jo returned the smile.

"I was wrong before."

"About?"

"You and Blair...I can see it now. You make sense."

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Magda started gathering their trash and discarding it in the plastic shopping bag she had brought the items in. "Now, let's head to the station and actually do a little work to go along with our paychecks."

Jo let out a small laugh as she buckled her seat belt and she and Magda headed back to work.

* * *

**_Few Days Before Christmas_ **

Jo smiled to herself as she looked at the custom frame in her hands. She placed it just above the fireplace in her apartment. She stood back to admire it, a huge smile still plastered on her face.

"Hi honey." Robert came up behind her and pecked her cheek. Jo stiffened at the contact, but knew better than to allow Robert to catch on to her uncomfortableness when he was near her.

"Hi," she timidly whispered back.

"That looks great. I never knew you were into poetry." He pointed at the silver framed piece Jo had just purchased as a Christmas present to herself. He thought it was weird when she wanted to buy herself a gift, but he was no Grinch.

"Yeah, uh...I...when I was younger," Jo stuttered out.

He nodded as he twisted the top off of the beer bottle in his hand. Jo didn't even hear him come in, or open the fridge. "Good day at work?" she made conversation.

"Yeah. You?" He asked as he plopped himself in front of 'their' TV set.

"Yeah," she answered as she continued to anxiously eye the permanent staple of the almost full beer bottle in his hand. He seemed to be in a good mood, yet she knew she was in for a long night once he started drinking. She'd swear the bottle needed to be surgically removed from his hand, as it always seemed to be there. Be it not for the fact that they bottles never stayed _almost full_ for long, and as soon as one was empty, she'd actually see he always grabbed another. The more he drank, the worst her night would be.

"My uh...my mom's supposed to drop by...is that okay?" she asked. Why does she feel the need to ask permission for her mother to come to her own apartment? _Coward!_

"Yeah, sure," He answered absentmindedly, his attention drawn to whatever football game was on TV. Normally Jo would know the players, their season stats, who was headed for the playoffs, but not with Robert around. _'Only dykes watch football.'_ He had said to her once...and drove it home with his belt when she _purposefully_ defied him by watching a game one Sunday.

"Okay well, I'll uh...I'll leave you to it," she quietly spoke as she headed toward their bedroom.

She went into her master bathroom and started to freshen up before her mother got there. By freshen up she meant, cover up any signs of old and new beatings. She expertly found the 'perfect', loose fitting, long sleeved sweater with not too wide of a neck. It covered up a lot of her old black and blues, plus her mother wouldn't be able to see how much weight she'd lost. She was practically skin and bones. She continued her routine and added just enough foundation and blush to not seem overly made up, but strong enough to hide any telltale signs of bruises. Before she knew it, the doorbell rang and she hurried to answer.

"JO!" her mother greeted with excitement. She hadn't seen her daughter in months and their calls were scarce at best.

Jo fell into the woman's open arms. She tried, she really did, to keep her emotions in check, especially since Robert was around, but she couldn't help it. A loud sob escaped her when her mother's arms instinctively tightened around her. She knew Robert would pretend to not pay attention, but he was well aware of this 'little show' Jo was putting on, and he'd teach her not to embarrass him in such a way again later, but she didn't care. She needed a hug from someone who loved her. She needed to feel loved. She needed to feel important to someone. She needed to not feel so alone. Not so worthless.

"Jo, sweetheart...what's the matter?" Rose Polniaczek whispered worriedly in her daughter's ear. The uncharacteristic behavior from her daughter, plus the fact that she could feel the young woman's petite frame while hugging her, had her scared. As a mother, you know when your child is hurting.

"Work's just been rough lately and I miss you," Jo cried, the death grip on her mother not letting up anytime soon.

Rose swallowed nervously. "It's alright. I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm right here." She tenderly ran her fingers through Jo's soft locks. She chanced a glance at Robert, who was sitting on the couch. He simply shrugged back at her and resumed his TV watching, but her motherly instinct kicked into high gear.

"Baby, let's uh...let's move to the kitchen, huh?" she asked Jo.

Jo nodded as she begrudgingly pulled out of her mother's embrace and led them toward the kitchen, wiping her cheeks and eyes as she walked.

"Look at you, you're a mess," her mother stated with a tender smile. Jo smiled back sadly as she carefully sat herself down at the table.

Rose grabbed a paper towel and dampened it in the sink. She made her way and sat next to Jo as she lovingly ran the moist, makeshift towelette over her daughter's face. Jo's perfectly placed make-up rubbed off slightly, revealing bruised skin underneath.

"Jo…" Her mother started out quietly as she grabbed Jo's hand.

"Yeah?" Jo whispered back.

Her mother looked at her with concern. Except for her red-brimmed eyes, Jo's face was now clear of any previous signs of crying; although, it was hard to tell as Jo avoided her gaze.

"What happened here?" She maudlinly ran a finger just below Jo's right eye, where hints of faded dark purple peeked through.

Jo disconnected as she pulled her hand from Rose's. "Work," she whispered in explanation as she uncomfortably shrugged into herself.

"Jo?" Rose dipped her head to catch her daughter's gaze.

Green tear filled eyes finally looked into mother's blue ones. "Everything has just been a little difficult lately...and I can't...I can't tell you things like I used to," her voice cracked.

"Oh, sweetheart." Rose quickly brought Jo in for a hug. She needed to make sure that their visit would last, as the last few had been limited to thirty minutes, max. Something was wrong with her daughter, and she needed to be here for her.

The last time she and Jo had been around each other, she had noticed a change in her daughter. She was shier than usual, quieter, reserved, and there was a sadness in those beautiful green eyes. Rose had always been able to get to the core of whatever was bothering Jo just by looking into her eyes. She knew every mood. She had lost a little of her sixth sense when it came to Jo, while the young woman had been at Eastland and later at Langley. It had become tougher, but even so, when her baby hurt, she knew it...and her daughter was hurting right now.

"I'm not...I'm not going to judge you. I'm just concerned. And I know you feel like we can't because of the last time when you..." she trailed off.

Jo moved out of her mother's embrace. "When I what? Told you I like women?" came the anger filled reply.

"Jo?" Rose tried to calm her daughter by running a soothing hand down her arm.

Jo angrily shrugged it off. "No, Ma...come on. You can't even say it! But don't worry, I'm being a good Catholic. My God approved boyfriend is in the living room."

"Jo?" Rose tried once again to calm the irate brunette.

"Maybe you should leave." Jo folded her arms across her chest and wouldn't even glance her mother's way.

"Jo, please. Don't kick me out. I'm worried about you," Rose begged.

Raged filled eyes bore into Rose. "Yeah, well, you should be!" _Because my God approved boyfriend hurts me. And I'm scared. Because I let it get out of hand...and I did it to please you. To make you proud. Please, Ma...PLEASE SEE ME!_

Jo's mother swallowed thickly. Jo watched her, hoping, wishing that the older woman would just apologize and say she accepted Jo, no matter what her sexual preference.

Rose harrowingly closed her eyes. Anguish filled her heart, because her sixth sense, her mother's instinct, the one she always had when she looked into Jo's eyes was still there, letting her know that her daughter just wanted her mother to accept her...and yet she didn't speak up.

"Merry Christmas, Ma," the younger woman whispered sadly as she got up, pecked her mother on the cheek, and walked away leaving her mother alone with her obstinate thoughts.

* * *

**AN: No Blair in this chapter, because I'm trying to let the readers see Jo's reality. Blair sort of made an appearance though, through Jo's memories and the letter she left for her.**

**DV Quote:** **"No amount of me trying to explain myself was doing any good. I didn't even know what was going on inside of me, so how could I have explained it to them?"**

**Sierra D. Waters, Debbie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

**_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word_ **

* * *

"So, you coming or not?" Robert stood in the doorway of Jo's bedroom, his arms on either side of it to block her exit.

"Not," came her terse reply as she ducked her head so she wouldn't catch his arms and walked past him while securing her badge to her pants.

"My mom is going to wonder where you are?" He turned to follow her. He was quickly losing his patience. It was Christmas Day, they'd been together for a little over half a year, and Jo had only met his mother once.

"You know what, Robert?" She furiously turned around to meet his equally irate stare. "I can't be with my own mother or friends on Christmas...you made sure of that...so I won't be spending it with yours. I have work...which is a better alternative then you any day." She turned to leave, but was stopped by Robert's firm hold and pull on her upper right arm.

"Is this because I won't let you be with your little whore on Christmas? Huh? I mean, what were you going to do? Hang out with her? Drink? Have a little sleepover in her room once everybody else was asleep, or gone home for the night? Then what? Finally admit to her you're a fucking dyke and live happily ever after?" His fiery eyes searched her face.

Her breathing became labored and she swallowed thickly, suddenly very aware that she had angered him.

"Do you fantasize about her?" His eyes bore into her. "I bet you do, you sick pervert."

"Stop it!" she warned.

"No, no. Come on. How it would be? Who's on top, Jo?" he leered. "It's you, isn't it."

A whimper escaped Jo as Robert's vice grip only got tighter.

"Oh wow, look at you. You do picture it." He let out a menacing chuckle. "You know what's sad?" His tone was condescending. "Even if she were a lesbian...Blair would still never give you the time of day. Poor, poor...pathetic Jo. Can't even get her best friend to love her. Or at least bang ya."

Jo's breaths were shallow and her nostrils flared as she opened and closed her fist. "Shut up!" She tried to angrily pull away.

"Don't you fight me you slutty bitch!" Robert dragged her down the hall.

"NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO! LET ME GO!" Jo fought him knowing he was heading toward the bedroom to 'teach her a lesson'. "NOOOOOO!" She continued to struggle against him.

"Look...look at yourself." He roughly grabbed her by the chin and made her stare at herself in the mirror that hung in the hall.

He was behind her, his left arm tightly around her upper body and across her chest, his own upper body and legs trapping her from behind. His right hand was roughly cupping her chin. Despite all that, sadly, Jo was relieved they didn't make it to the room. That's right, it was sad that this, him roughly grabbing her in the hall, was better than what happened most days in that room.

"LOOK AT YOURSELF!" he yelled when she defiantly closed her eyes. Fear took over and she did as she was told. Tears sprang to her frightened orbs and messily ran down her cheeks.

"That's it," he whispered in her ear. "Now, do you think Blair could ever find you attractive. I mean honestly. Do you?"

"Nn...nooo," came the stuttered whimper.

"That's right. Because you're pathetic...and nobody...do you hear me? Nobody but me will ever want you. Don't forget that the next time you're thinking crazy thoughts. Got it?" His hold on her face tightened even more, letting her know he expected a response.

"Yy...yeess," came the whispered cry.

He smiled. "Good girl." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "You better be home when I get back...wouldn't want this to be a blue Christmas," He said with a sneer as he roughly pushed her away from his body and left for his mother's.

Jo stood still, her gaze fixed upon her reflection in the mirror, her lips trembling. As soon as she heard Robert's car start up, she let out a choked sob as she turned herself around and leaned her back against the wall. She could no longer stand to look at herself, to look at the pathetic piece of waste she had become. Her right hand came up and unsuccessfully muffled her loud cries. As she continued to weep uncontrollably, her body gave out on her and she slowly allowed it to slide down the wall and onto the floor. She held her head in her hands, tears still coming full force as her whole body shook. She hated her life.

She sat there for who knows how long, until her sobs eventually became soft hiccupped cries and sniffles. She felt her phone vibrate against her thigh. Robert had forgotten to confiscate it. She pulled it out and noticed a few missed calls and text messages from several of her friends and family. In all her crying she hadn't paid attention to the prior notifications.

 _'Know you're working today, but Bailey wanted to say "HI" to Aunty Jo.'_ \- Blair

Jo smiled as the message was accompanied by a video of Bailey saying Merry Christmas and letting Jo know how much she missed her. She and Blair blew kisses to the camera. Bailey's cute little giggle, so much like her big sister's, caused Jo to let out a little laugh.

"Merry Christmas, Bailey," Jo whispered as she lovingly ran her hand over the video's thumbnail.

There were several other messages from Mrs. G., her mother, Tootie, Nat and even Magda and her little son, Ben.

She listened, re-read and re-watched them all a handful of times, then decided to get herself together and go to work. Work kept her busy, mainly her mind. She needed that today. If she stayed alone with her thoughts in this apartment, there's no telling how her night might end.

* * *

"Rose, you made it." Blair happily greeted Jo's mother with a hug and kiss.

Rose smiled at the winsome blonde. If someone had told Rose Polniaczek years ago that she and Blair Warner would ever be breaking bread on Christmas, she would've laughed in their face. Although she had to admit, Blair had always been a good friend of the family, especially to her Jo.

"Hi sweetheart. How's your first hosting gig going?" Rose chuckled as she took off her coat. Blair had invited her, but had rambled on about how nervous she was with Christmas being at her house this year. And since Jo had been ignoring the young woman's calls, Rose had politely listened and provided positive feedback and motherly advice.

Blair grabbed Rose's coat to hang it up for her. "Not so bad." She smiled brightly as she fumbled with one of the coat hangers. "Although, a lot of it has to do with the fact that Mrs. Garrett is here," she mused.

She and Rose shared a smile as they made their way to the kitchen, but Blair stopped midway when her doorbell rang yet again. She gave Jo's mom an apologetic smile before heading back to answer the door. Rose continued her path to the kitchen.

"ROSE!" Mrs. Garrett, Monica Warner, Natalie and Tootie all greeted happily when the woman in question entered.

"Hi everyone." She went around giving them cursory hugs and kisses. "Can I help?" she asked in regard to the meal preparation. "Or, is Blair banning help?"

Tootie let out a howled laugh. "No, she is not banning it. She's off playing hostess with the mostest and we're stuck here with Mrs. Garrett."

"Hey! Mrs. Garrett is right here you know." The older woman playfully swatted Tootie's backside.

The group chuckled.

"Sorry, Mrs Garrett. You know I love you." Tootie hugged the woman from behind and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

The women got to work and eventually even Blair joined them once all her guests had arrived.

"What's our latest headcount?" Mrs. Garrett asked the girls. There seemed to be a lot of people coming in and out of the kitchen and it seemed more than the twenty Blair had estimated.

"Let's see, we got my mom, my grandma, Blair's mom and baby sis, Tootie, her parents, and Jeff, Blair's neighbor, her little niece and her brother...who is a hottie, might I add."

All the women in the kitchen looked toward Natalie at her admitted last statement.

"What? He is." She shrugged unaffected.

Blair shook her head. "You were counting our guests," she reminded.

"Right." They shared a knowing smirk. "Let's see, so far that's…" Natalie silently repeated the names she had already uttered and ticked them off on her fingers as she did so. "Eleven."

"Then we have Jo's dad, Beverly Ann, Pippa, Andy, myself, Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Rose…" She finished off with the people in the kitchen.

"Jo would've made twenty," she sadly realized.

They all gave each other crestfallen stares.

"Blair, darling, if the mountain can't come to Muhammed, then Muhammed must go to the mountain," Monica Warner stated as she fed Blair's neighbor's little eighteen month old niece. The older Warner had started out with all the gusto and good intentions of helping out in the kitchen until she chipped a nail. Mrs. Garrett had given her time off for good behavior.

A huge smile took over Blair's features as she realized what her mother was proposing. Everyone else seemed to be on board.

"Mrs. Garrett...would you hate us terribly if we packed up your delicious dinner and headed to Jo's?" Blair asked the older woman.

"Of course not. I think it's a wonderful idea! All my girls together under one roof on Christmas." She lovingly held Blair's hand. "A wonderful idea," she tenderly repeated.

Blair smiled brightly. "Let me just go tell the others," she said with a small peck to Mrs. Garrett's cheek and then to her mother's.

"I want kiss." Avery pouted with crossed arms. The little girl had grown very attached to Blair in the last couple of months.

"You want a kiss? Oh, you're asking for it. Here comes the 'Kiss Monster'," Blair said in a playfully deep voice as she started to blow raspberry kisses on Avery's cheeks and neck. The little girl was a fit of giggles.

* * *

Jo spun her office chair around several times, stopped after about the fourth spin and then shot the wad of paper into her makeshift basketball hoop.

"Nothing but net, or tin can," she laughed at her own joke as she successfully shot her fourteenth basket in a row.

"That's 'cause nobody's covering ya."

She jumped up at the voice of her Captain.

"Uh...hi sir. I was just…" She quickly stood up and nervously pointed to the trash can in the middle of the precinct floor, then shoved her hands in her pockets, before quickly removing them. It was just another "dyke-like" quality Robert found unflattering, a sentiment he had "diligently" driven home to her on many occasions.

Her Captain just smiled at her then walked closer to the garbage can. "You made all of these while doing the spinny thing?" He pointed to her chair and did a little circle motion with his pointer finger.

"Ummm, the first few were just straight shots...I needed a challenge so…spinning seemed like...a good idea," she trailed off with a whisper and timid shrug.

He gave her an impressed nod and smile as he walked toward his office. Keeping the door open, he continued to make conversation with her as he searched his desk drawers for something. "You played in high school?"

"Uh, for fun, yes. But, um, field hockey was more my thing," she spoke loudly so he could hear her.

"Found them." He walked out of his office with what seemed to be some lottery tickets in his hand.

Jo raised her eyebrows and gave him a small smile.

"My wife, we go to her best friend's every year. We're all older so everyone says, no gifts, no gifts. But, she feels bad and she makes me buy lotto tickets for everyone. I told her, with our luck, we might actually buy the winning ticket for someone else." He let out a hearty laugh and Jo couldn't help but chuckle at him. She could certainly understand irony lately.

"What about you? No plans for Christmas?" he asked as he stuffed the tickets into his wallet.

"No, lots of uh...work here so…" Jo let out a sigh, knowing he wouldn't believe that. The station was a ghost town today, and their floor even more so. Besides, he had seen just how "busy" she was when he walked in and caught her horsing around. She eyed him nervously as he finally looked back at her. She had yet to sit down since he first came in and surprised her.

"I can see that," he teased as he pointed his head to her trash can full of crumpled up papers.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have been…"

"Your evaluation is coming up soon, no?" he asked as he walked to the large printer on the other side of the office.

She swallowed thickly. "Yes, sir." She knew that she'd been messing up a lot lately: coming in late, spacing out, playing paper basketball on the company clock. She wanted to blame Robert, but ultimately, it was her own fault for allowing things to get this far.

The Captain grabbed a ream of paper from the box at the bottom right of the printer. He started to open it as he walked back toward Jo.

"Best of ten...if I win, you go home and spend it with your family. If you win, then you still go home and spend it with your family."

Jo chuckled. "So it's really a lose lose for me?"

"I guess it depends on who the family you're going home to is." He gave her a thoughtful smile.

"Very true." She nodded in agreement.

They started to ball up their papers.

"What if I were to say, you let me win and I give you a good evaluation?" he asked as he sat on the corner of her desk and invited her to sit on Magda's.

"I'd say...that's not fair. It should be based on my merits."

"I agree." He nodded with a smile as he took his first shot and landed it. "Your turn," he encouraged.

"Is this some weird morality test?" she teased as she jutted out her tongue and threw her first piece of wadded paper, also sinking the shot. "Your turn," she retorted.

"No, not a morality test. You've worked with me as a detective for almost a year and as a cop for...what? Three and a half?" If he recalled correctly, due to Jo's college degree, she was able to skip her last year as a cop and apply for detective early, helped by the fact that she was a damn good cop.

"Yeah, something like that," she agreed with his timeline as he made his second shot. She got ready to take hers.

"So, one would venture to say we...kind of know each other?" he asked, his third shot bouncing off the rim of the trash can and onto the floor. "Ouch" He made a face.

Jo smiled. "Yes, I would say we know each other pretty well...and now I would say you suck at basketball," she teased in a sing-song voice as she expertly landed two shots back to back.

"Show off," he playfully muttered. They smiled at each other.

"So, you'd think I'd base your evaluation on you letting me win a paper basketball game, which might I add, there's no one to witness."

"No, I suppose that I know you well enough to know better," Jo admitted in all seriousness. "And as of two shots ago, you're technically losing." She smirked.

He chuckled. "Football's more my game anyways."

"Likely excuse," she replied teasingly as she reached for another crumpled up piece of paper.

"Jo…" His voice was soft and full of concern as he gently placed his hand just above the paper, but was mindful not to touch Jo's own hand.

Jo met his unsettled gaze, her eyes instantly glossed over. _He knows_.

"As a Captain, I have to try to...to make sure everyone in my care is safe. From my detectives, to my cops, to our inmates, our community...everyone."

Jo swallowed thickly as she nodded at his statement.

"And sometimes, when we...when we're just getting to know someone, we might think...I don't want to be a burden, or cause waves. I know that being a woman detective, it probably hasn't been an easy ride for you. And I...I don't want to ever overstep or disrespect anyone on my force, man or woman, but...I will protect and I will stand up for what and who is right. I just...since we're sharing and now I know you have a mean three point shot...and now you know that me with the three pointers...not so great...I wanted to uh...just let you know that."

Jo dipped her head to avert her Captain's stare. "Thank you sir. Duly noted."

He nodded as he watched her worriedly. He had been hearing things here and there, nothing concrete, but he hoped Jo knew if she ever needed him he would have her back.

"Ok. Well, I uh...better get going before my wife thinks I ran away with the winning lotto ticket," he teased.

Jo chuckled. "Night sir."

"Merry Christmas," he reminded her as he patted her hand.

"Merry Christmas." She nodded her goodbye as he headed out. She let out a sigh as her quiet surroundings engulfed her. She grabbed another piece of paper and adjusted herself further back on Magda's desk to try another round of throws.

* * *

Her very first missed shot of the night came an hour later, courtesy of the gaggle of voices she heard coming from down the hall, singing _'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'_.

A bright smile took over her features as a certain beautiful blonde led the crowd her way.

"You guys. You shouldn't have gone through all this trouble," she half heartedly protested. She dropped her gaze and her cheeks flushed in typical Jo fashion when she was embarrassed. "I can't believe you guys," she followed up as she started to hand out hugs and kisses, her first going to Blair.

"It's never any trouble," Mrs. Garrett whispered in her ear when the young woman bent down to hug her. "You know how much you mean to us." She lovingly wiped away the tears running down Jo's cheeks. Jo just nodded, no words forthcoming with the newly formed lump in her throat.

Jo continued to receive hugs and kisses and words of love and encouragement. Her friends and family, which at this point in life, were one in the same, all genuinely happy to be in her presence. Blair had been the most emotional as she and Jo had held onto each other for several minutes, their lack of interaction in the past few months causing them to cling tightly to one another.

Mrs. Garrett harrowingly took in how skinny Jo looked. Being around the girls for half their lives, she had seen them fluctuate in weight, but never like this. Jo looked sickly. She hoped nothing was wrong with the brunette.

The group soon settled in and Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Natalie and Tootie all started to serve.

"Come on Polniaczek, you're not above us," Tootie teased.

"I'm the guest of honor," Jo whined jokingly. "Mrs. Garrett?" she protested when Tootie, Natalie and Blair all gave her an "oh please" look.

"Now, the girls are right...we brought you the food, but you are no guest of honor. Hop to it, young lady," Mrs. Garrett chastised playfully.

"Et tu, Mrs. Garrett? Et tu?" Jo teased as she got up to help.

* * *

The hours ticked away quickly and Jo's smile couldn't be brighter. She sat with Blair's little sister, Bailey, when Blair approached carrying a curly haired toddler.

"Who's this cute?" she asked, referring to the tiny brunette child.

"Why Jo, you've known me forever...it's me, Blair," the blonde teased as she playfully tossed her hair.

"I meant the baby." Jo shook her head. "But, the grown up with her is pretty cute too," she tenderly whispered.

Blair smiled shyly at the rare compliment from Jo.

"That's Avery," Bailey piped up from Jo's lap, "Blair's new favorite person."

Jo and Blair smirked because the seven year old's voice was laced with jealousy.

"Now that's not fair, Bailey. You know you're my favorite person too."

"You can't have more than one favorite person, right Aunty Jo?" She tilted her head back to look at Jo.

"Why can't we? You like me don't ya?"

Bailey nodded.

"And your mom?"

Another nod.

"And your sis?"

"I see where you're going with this." Bailey let out a small sigh. Blair and Jo chuckled.

"Can two of my favorite people go hang out with mommy?" Blair asked Bailey as she placed Avery to stand on the ground. Bailey begrudgingly said bye to Jo, grabbed Avery's hand, and led her to where Monica Warner was sitting near Mrs. Garrett, Beverly Ann and the other mothers.

"Alone at last," Blair teased. Jo gave her an uneasy smile. For Blair those types of comments were throw away ones, but for Jo, they meant confusing feelings.

"The kid?" Jo pointed her head toward Avery. Blair had never answered her question.

Blair let out a frustrated sigh. Jo was so standoffish with her tonight and it hadn't escaped her notice that her Christmas decorations now resided over Magda's desk, instead of Jo's. But, she was also worried about her friend, Jo was just not...Jo.

"See the guy Natalie has been flirting with all evening?"

Jo glanced Natalie's way and caught a very tall, handsome looking young man animatedly talking with her. "Yeah."

"That's James. He's Avery's dad. He's widowed and his sister, Dani, and I help out with Avery."

Jo's attention was now focused on Blair. "And Dani would be?"

"My neighbor."

"I see." Jo simply nodded. Blair had never mentioned this Dani person before. They must be close for James to be at their Christmas party with his kid.

"Is Dani coming later?" Jo asked as she hadn't spotted anyone else she didn't know in the crowd of family and friends.

Blair smirked, jealous Jo was cute. "No, against my wishes, she decided that hanging out with friends on Christmas was better than hanging out with family, so she met up with them here in the city."

Jo nodded again. _So, Dani's family?_

Blair decided to change the subject. "Did you like your surprise?"

"Yeah. It was great. This...this really was just what I needed today," Jo admitted. She knew that if Robert ever found out there would be hell to pay, but the station was a ghost town tonight and she didn't think this would get back to him.

"I'm glad." Blair chuckled nervously. They were awkward around each other for some reason, and it troubled Blair. Not to mention how forlorn Jo looked.

Jo fidgeted nervously with the cord from her desk phone. Blair intently looked on. She knew how stubborn, proud and private Jo could be, but...this couldn't go on any longer. She had to find out what was going on with her best friend.

"You know, I'm surprised they made you work tonight." Blair's voice broke the uneasy silence.

Jo furrowed her eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, it's just so quiet, I don't see why you would have to be here instead of…"

"Are you saying I lied about having to work or something?" Jo sat up a little straighter and defensively motioned to herself.

"No, that's not what I meant," Blair's voice and eyes quietly pleaded with Jo.

"Then what did you mean, Blair? I hate that you always skirt around things."

"I skirt around things? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

The comment was made in anger, sure, but Blair never dreamed it would cause Jo to look like she had visibly been slapped by the blonde. If Blair only knew how recently Jo had been _forced_ to look at herself in a mirror.

The crowd around them momentarily stopped their own conversations to make sure the two, normally arguing women, were just having one of their usual tiffs and that everything was okay.

"I just…" Blair started out with a hushed voice, causing their friends and family to continue about their own business. "...meant that they could've had some compassion with you and let you at least be on call at home or something," Blair stated.

Being friends for fifteen years, Jo knew this was Blair's version of an apology.

"I'm the newbie detective." Jo shrugged, knowing that Blair would also recognize this was her version of an apology as well. Truth was that Jo _could_ be home instead of here, but home was no longer home.

"It's time for presents!" Tootie got everyone's attention.

Jo got a panicked look on her face and looked toward Blair. "I don't have presents...I didn't think I'd be seeing you guys and I didn't have time to shop." _Didn't have time to shop? Was threatened to get the shit beat out of me if I did. Almost the same thing._

Blair smiled at a nervous looking Jo, "It's fine. We actually did Secret Santa this year. You drew me, and I'll expect something extra special since you're late." Blair cutely crinkled her nose.

"How did I draw you if I wasn't around to do the drawing?" Jo raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Alright, fine. Everyone that drew me kept trading because I'm 'too difficult to shop for'." Blair pouted.

"So I got stuck wit' ya?" Jo smirked.

Blair shrugged sadly.

Jo let out a small laugh. "Well, I could think of worse things, I suppose." She winked at the blonde. Blair smiled shyly.

"Anyways, you'll see why she's so excited for presents," The blonde informed in regard to Tootie. The young woman had called her a few weeks ago with some news and Blair gave her some sisterly advice on how she should go about sharing with the rest of them.

Jeff went up to meet Tootie and lovingly grabbed her hand. They smiled at each other and then nervously at all the anxious eyes glaring back at them.

"Jeff and I wanted to let you all know that you will all soon be...grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to a baby Tootie or Jeff!"

Shrieks of joy burst from the women in the room as they all ran up to Tootie, while the men all went up to Jeff and heartily shook his hand.

Blair smiled as she looked on, having already had her moment with Tootie a few days ago. The soon to be first time mommy was definitely glowing. To think, she met Tootie when she was just nine years old, and now she was going to be a mommy. She was so proud of her, of the young woman she had become.

Jo had tears in her eyes, but had yet to go up to Tootie.

"Hey, everything okay?" Blair worriedly asked when she realized Jo hadn't followed the rest of the crowd in their congratulations.

Jo nodded a few times. "Yeah, it's just...this is big. One of us is having a baby. We're...we're growing up. I don't...I don't want to miss out on seeing Tootie's baby," her voice cracked.

Blair tenderly rubbed her back. "You won't. Aunt Blair is going to teach her to shop and Aunt Jo will teach her to be a badass and not take crap from no one," Blair teased.

Jo let out a woeful chuckle. "Yeah."

She excused herself and went to congratulate Tootie and Jeff. Her hug extra tight and extra long around the expectant mommy.

"I love you," Jo whispered in her ear. Tootie furrowed her eyebrows as she pulled back to look at Jo, because while she knew Jo loved her and had always and would always have her back, it wasn't something Jo put out there so freely. It was vulnerable and Jo wasn't vulnerable. Jo showed her love with actions. Only on rare occasions did she let loose with Blair, and even those were led more by Blair.

Tootie tenderly ran her thumbs over Jo's cheeks and wiped away a few stray tears. "I love you too Jo."

Jo gave her a grateful smile.

"Girls, let's have a toast," Mrs. Garrett announced.

"Good idea, Mrs. G," Natalie agreed. Jo took the moment to compose herself.

"No champagne. We didn't pack it. Will hot chocolate work?"

"If it's your famous hot chocolate, then yes, Mrs. G," Jo advised with a smile. Mrs. Garrett returned it.

"Blair, did you bring the styrofoam cups?" Mrs. Garrett had made enough hot chocolate and placed it in two large thermoses, Blair was in charge of bringing the styrofoam cups.

By the face Blair was making and the way she was apologetically biting her lip, Mrs. Garrett had her answer.

"Don't worry Mrs. G, we can use some from the station. I'll just grab em' from the breakroom. Come on princess, you have to help carry since you screwed up." Jo motioned for Blair to follow her.

As the blonde walked by Mrs. Garrett, the older woman playfully went to swat her behind. Blair chuckled at the action as she dodged her and scurried behind Jo. Mrs. Garrett shook her head in amusement.

* * *

"You eat here?" Blair asked in disgust as she picked up an old, stained doily with the tips of her thumb and forefinger and inspected it at arm's length.

Jo rolled her eyes. "The maid is on vacation," came her snarky comment. Blair knew to quit while she was ahead so she kept any further comments about the dingy breakroom to herself.

"Can we use the ones in the still packaged sleeve?" were the only other words from her mouth when Jo started counting from the ones stacked on top of the counter.

The brunette let out an exasperated sigh, but as always, conceded to her princess' wishes and reached up toward the top shelf of the kitchen cabinets to grab an unopened package of cups.

"Thank you," Blair stated with a triumphant smile.

"Yeah. Yeah." Jo chuckled. Blair went to grab the cups and Jo playfully put them above her head and out of Blair's reach.

"I can take you Polniaczek," Blair threatened light heartedly, happy to see a smiling Jo.

"Come on." Jo gave her a shit eating grin as she raised her eyebrows challengingly.

Sometime during dinner the blonde had taken off her heels, which meant Jo was at an advantage height wise.

"Hi honey."

At the unfortunate sound of an all too familiar voice, the sleeve of cups in Jo's hand, as well as her playful demeanor, fell.

"Robert," she got out, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I finished at my mom's early and was worried about you being all by yourself, but...I can see I was worried for nothing." He went up to her and pulled her in for a sideways hug. He kept her there as he turned his attention to Blair. "Hi Blair. Good to see you again."

"Likewise." To her credit, Blair kept a pretty neutral face. One would never know just how much she wanted to kick Robert's ass, because what she just saw with Jo, that was not normal.

"I uh...better get these out there to Mrs. Garrett." She leaned down and picked up the discarded cups. "I hope you'll join us in toasting our good friends Tootie and Jeff, Robert. They're expecting."

"Oh, uh...that's wonderful. We'll be out in a jiff." He plastered on a charming smile.

Being the queen of fake smiles, Blair saw right through it. She responded with one of her own before turning to leave. As soon as she stepped past the threshold of the breakroom, she placed a shaky hand over her heart. Her chest felt tight and she was breathing heavily.

* * *

"Blair?" Rose Polniaczek was the first to notice the pale looking blonde and rushed to her side. Truth be told, she had seen Robert Gray walk into the station and got a gut feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her motherly instinct quickly surfaced as she watched his every move. She felt unnaturally relieved that Jo was not alone in the breakroom when he arrived. Her sixth sense told her things were not as they seemed with Robert Gray. By the looks of Jo's best friend, she wasn't the only one.

"Darling?" Monica rushed over to Blair, Mrs. Garrett not too far behind.

"I'm al...al...alright," Blair assured them as she tried to control her breathing. "I'm...al...right." A panic attack was starting to set in. She closed her eyes and remembered some of the techniques that Dani, a frequent sufferer of panic attacks since the day she lost her parents, had shared with her.

Blair started chanting to herself things she could see, feel, hear and smell. Slowly her breathing began to even itself out. Once it did, her eyes anxiously darted back to the breakroom, which contained her best friend. The rest of the women felt relief wash over them as Blair seemed to be okay now, so they slowly started to dissipate. Mrs. Garrett even grabbed the cups from the young blonde to start serving up the hot cocoa. Rose Polniaczek, however, followed Blair's line of sight.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Robert asked Jo through gritted teeth.

"What was what?" Jo asked as she tried to walk around him.

He menacingly smiled at her as he roughly grabbed her by the arm. "Flirting with your friend, Jo. You think I'm an idiot? That I didn't catch it?"

Jo, against her better judgment, smiled at the comment, because yes, she did think he was an idiot.

The satisfied little smile plastered on Jo's face did not go unnoticed by Robert. He was pissed, and it was even worse because he couldn't 'get her in line' right this very instant with so many people around. "Wipe that fucking grin off your face before I wipe it for you."

Jo swallowed thickly at the threat, he'd never hit her in front of people, but when they got home it would be a different story.

"You have thirty minutes to say goodbye to your friends and get your ass home."

"The drive home is about twenty minutes alone. Plus they have to clean up their stuff and I have to lock up behind them," she cried.

"Then you'd better get moving...bitch." He roughly pushed her back against the kitchen counter that sat behind her. Jo's right wrist got crushed between the cabinets and her body, she felt the crunch. It wasn't broken, but the swelling and bruising of a sprained wrist wouldn't be too far along. Robert walked out without a second glance. She could hear his annoying voice giving a general goodbye to her friends, wishing them a Merry Christmas. A round of 'you too's' we're heard in response.

She turned on the kitchen faucet as best she could with her now injured hand and splashed her face to get rid of any evidence she had been crying. She tried to see her reflection in one of the metal platters they kept for parties, it was blurry, but she didn't look like she had been crying. She hated herself for what she was about to do, but...here goes.

She took a deep breath, grabbed her cell phone, put it to her ear and then walked out of the breakroom. She pretended to muffle whoever was on the other end by putting her hand over the phone's speaker. "Hey Nat, I'm being called out on an assignment. I gotta write down the details, can you herd everybody and kick em' out of here? I have to lock up."

The younger woman was caught off guard, as she had been engrossed in her conversation with James, but nodded her head in agreement at Jo's request and quickly got to work helping her friends and family out the door.

Jo had picked Natalie for several reasons. She tended to not question Jo, as Jo had always been someone Natalie looked up to, and she was googly eyed over James, which meant her judgment was impaired and she wouldn't really take in Jo's appearance. In Jo's eyes, between Nat, Tootie, Mrs. Garrett, and Blair, Nat was the clear choice for a somewhat clean getaway.

As Jo pretended to jot down the information being 'fed' to her by the non-existent person on the other end of the phone, her partner, Magda Ramirez, walked hurriedly into the precinct.

Magda darted toward her desk as her trained eye quickly took in her surroundings. She spotted Jo with her back turned, on her phone, writing something down. The rest of the people she assumed were Jo's friends and family, as a few faces were familiar from their past visits to Jo over the last year, particularly Jo's mom and Mrs. Garrett.

"Magda!" Blair greeted the detective excitedly. Maybe Magda could keep Jo here, long enough for Blair to find out what was going on with the brunette.

"Oh, hey, Blair. Looking good," she commented on the blonde's dress.

"Thank you. You too," Blair responded as she nervously rubbed her palms together and looked toward Jo.

Magda smiled distractedly at the return compliment as she opened and closed her desk drawers.

She grabbed a brand new boxed tablet and held it up triumphantly. "The number one gift on my kid's list to Santa and I leave it at work."

They had been at her sister's for Christmas, and when it came time to unwrap gifts, she had to make up a lie about how Santa probably left him his number one present at their place.

Blair gave her a courteous smile, but Magda noticed how the blonde's eyes would anxiously dart back and forth between her and Jo.

"Blair, is everything alright?" Magda asked with raised eyebrows.

"Uh, would Jo...I mean, tonight...is she on call?"

"Yeah, she is," Magda supplied. She didn't, however, tell Blair it was by Jo's own choice and that she didn't have to be at the station while on call, just nearby and ready should a call come.

"Oh. Thank you." Blair nodded. Maybe she was overreacting? Besides, Jo was tough. She'd never let a guy touch her or intimidate her. Maybe the fact that she hadn't seen Jo in months was affecting her judgment.

"Blair?" Mrs. Garrett signaled for the young woman. They were trying to figure out rides home since everyone would more than likely be heading elsewhere for the night and not back to Blair's. Their original seating arrangements from their drive into the city weren't going to work for their departures.

"Sorry, I have to…" She pointed behind her toward Mrs. Garrett.

Magda nodded, but Blair didn't move to leave.

"I've got her back. Don't worry," Magda advised knowingly.

Blair gave her a bright smile. "Thank you...I just...if anything were to ever happen to Jo...I don't…" Blair couldn't even finish her sentence.

"I know." The older detective gave her a small smile.

A minute of awkward stares and silence passed.

"Merry Christmas," they spoke simultaneously and then chuckled at each other.

Magda playfully shooed Blair away with a gentle shove. "Go. I hear Mrs. Garrett is no joke."

"You've heard right."

Another shared chuckle rang out.

"Bye, Magda...and thank you." Blair gave her one more small wave and then headed toward where Mrs. Garrett was waiting.

* * *

Jo knitted her eyebrows at the weird exchange between Blair and Magda, she had been watching them out of the corner of her eye. She didn't like it when Blair would be so "friendly" with people, especially other women. And what the hell was wrong with Magda? Some _friend_. Some _partner_. _If Blair is going to giggle and smile with anyone tonight, it should be me._

The brunette angrily walked up to Magda. "A word," she demanded as she grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her toward the hall. Magda allowed it and was even smirking at the action.

She knew Jo had spotted her when she walked in. She also knew Jo wasn't on the phone with anyone and that her purposeful playful shove and giggle fest with one Blair Warner would upset the young detective. Magda had been piecing things together about Jo. One, Robert was clearly making Jo unhappy. Magda suspected that Jo wasn't as into men as she let on and that she was struggling with some of those feelings. Then there was Jo's relationship with Blair, Magda was just waiting for when Jo would open up to her about what she felt for the blonde. Because it clearly went beyond friendship.

"So, you and uh...Blair...seemed pretty chummy."

Magda smirked. "We got to really know each other the day when she decorated your desk. Even exchanged phone numbers."

Jo's brow furrowed. "Wat da hell wud ya need each otha's numbahs for?" Her Bronx accent was on full display.

Magda shrugged, the desperation on Jo's face making her feel bad for teasing the younger woman at all. She had to come up with an excuse to put her friend at ease. "Emergencies...with you. She came to decorate your desk, said she's been worried about you and I promised to keep an eye on ya and call her if anything comes up," she partially lied as she and Blair never actually exchanged numbers.

"That's it? For me?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." Jo nodded, her body language more at ease at the explanation.

"What are you doing here?" Jo asked with resignation in her voice. At this point she'd never get home on time to meet her fate at Robert's hands, which would only make her punishment harder and longer.

"I left Ben's stupid tablet in my desk. What are you doing here?" Magda responded.

"I...I'm on call, remember?" She fidgeted with her fingers.

"How could I forget. Still don't get why you volunteered and made your family be stuck in this stuffy hell hole all night.

Jo rolled her eyes. "They weren't supposed to be here. Which reminds me, I really have to get going...can you please wait for them and lock up for me?"

"No way, Polniaczek. My sister's supposed to be arriving at my house, with my kid, any minute now and this…" She shook the tablet in her hand. "...is supposed to be under the tree...where Santa left it."

"Magda, please," her voice cracked and her eyes glossed over.

The older detective furrowed her eyebrows at the strange behavior, then at what her eyes spotted next. Jo's right wrist was completely swollen and covered in dark purple bruising. "What happened here?"

Jo flinched when Magda gently grabbed her wrist.

"Twisted it," came her whispered reply as she avoided the woman's gaze and slowly took her hand back.

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital...get it checked out? Could be broken."

Jo's tear filled eyes stared up at her friend and partner. "Magda, I'm not going to the hospital. I really have to go home...and I just need you to lock up after my friends."

"Jo…" the older woman whispered with concern.

"Please?" Jo's eyes pleaded with her.

"Okay." Magda nodded. "Okay." She shrugged in resignation.

Jo took in a shaky breath. "Thank you." She turned to leave.

"But, Jo…"

Jo looked back toward Magda, her body language jittery, anxious.

Magda took it all in. "First thing tomorrow...you and I are finally going to have that talk."

Jo avoided her gaze. "Yeah. Sure." with that, Jo Polniaczek ran out of the station and toward her apartment. She was running fifteen minutes behind. Robert was going to kill her.

Magda watched anxiously as her friend ran down the hall and eventually out of sight.

"Damn!" She shook her head annoyed at herself.

She shouldn't have let Jo go. She should've confronted her about her suspicions in regard to Robert. She should've...done so many things...but she didn't.

Blair came out to meet Magda in the hall. "Hey." Her hands were full of aluminum foil covered trays.

Magda turned around. "Uh, Jo had to get home so...I'll see you all out."

Blair nodded. Magda gave her a small smile and even took some trays from her.

As they walked toward the parking lot, they stopped and stared at each other. Concern filled their eyes as an unspoken feeling of dread washed over them both. They shouldn't have let Jo go.

* * *

Jo had been home for hours. She was huddled in the corner of her living room, hands protectively over her head and face, while Robert continued to hit her. It didn't matter that she was protecting her face, he'd just land his punches to other areas, but at least those she could hide with clothes when he left her all marked up.

It had been weird tonight, when she got home. He hadn't started hitting her right away. He made her sit down and tell him why he was about to 'discipline' her, as if she was his child.

He had been eerily calm and somehow, told her all the ways she had let God, him, and even her family and friends down. Made her feel ashamed for spending time with them while the whole time she was lying to their face about her 'dirty sinful ways'. They'd never understand. They would shun her. Find her repulsive. Especially Blair.

He had beaten a confession out of her in regard to her 'flirting' with Blair. Then, with a flat bloody lip, he made her go into detail about her feelings for the woman. She tried, she tried so hard not to say, because those feelings were private, and sacred, and she had never told them to anyone. Blair was special to her. Her feelings for Blair were special and beautiful and yet, he took that away from Jo and cheapened it, as if it was the most disgusting thing in the world. She supposed it was. That's what she had been taught her whole life, a woman is not supposed to love another woman.

"How many times, Joanna Marie?" His leather belt met Jo's legs.

"I'm soooorrryyyy," Jo cried. "Pleeeeaassseee."

"Oh, you're going to be sorry," he continued to strap her relentlessly.

"I wooonnn'tttt doooo iitttt aaagggaaiinn. I pprrooommiiissee. Pppplleeeaasseee," she howled.

"That's right you won't...and I'll make sure of it." He threw his belt to the side and roughly grabbed her by her arms and stood her up.

"Nooo. Noooo. Noooooooo." She kicked him away. She knew what was about to happen.

"Stop it, you bitch!" He turned her around and grabbed her under her arms and across her chest as he dragged her backwards toward her room.

"Ppplleeeaasseee...I'll be goooood. Pplleeeaase. Pplleeeaasee. I won't do it again. I won't." She kicked her feet out wide and tried to restrict their movements by locking them against the walls in their hallway.

He easily thrust her from side to side so that her shoes would lose their grip on the walls as her pleas fell on deaf ears. He finally made it to their bedroom and threw Jo onto the bed. She bounced a little at the force with which he pushed her as she tried to crawl away.

He grabbed her ankles, pulled her back toward him and then turned her body so she was facing him.

"Please." She let out a small whimper. "Don't do this." She shook her head as her eyes silently pleaded with him.

"You know what I think, Jo?" he asked, his breaths ragged from all the moving and struggling Jo was doing.

"Please don't," came her pathetic whispered supplication.

"You know what you need to fix you? To be with a real man."

Despite her current situation she laughed in his face. "Are you going to go out and find me one...you pussy!"

He slapped her hard as he held a threatening finger right in front of her face. "Don't you ever question my manhood...you dyke. Now, stop all that squirming, you hear me? You know what you did and that you deserve this. Now say it...say you deserve it."

She swallowed thickly. "FUCK YOU!" She spit in his face.

"Bad move, Jo!" He angrily brought her arms down and crushed them with his knees. She let out a painful scream when his knee connected with her injured wrist.

He hastily started to unbutton her pants. He struggled with her zipper a bit, but eventually was able to bring them down just enough for what he needed to do. She wasn't resisting anymore, which always made it easier.

He made work of removing his own pants as Jo clamped her eyes shut, turned her head and waited for the inevitable. She prayed it wouldn't last long. Except for this time, the usual occurrence of searing pain, and his heavy sweaty breaths near her ears, while feeling the weight of his thrusts, never happened.

Instead, she heard a loud thump and something breaking, like glass or ceramic, and then a grunt as Robert's whole body collapsed on her own.

She opened her eyes and let out a small strangled cry as blood trickled down Robert's head and his half naked body lay listless on top of her's. She quickly pushed him off of her and crawled back on the bed, her fear driven adrenaline did not allow her to feel the pain from her injured wrist, or the shards of ceramic cutting her hands and half exposed thighs. Self-conscious about her body, she was quickly aware of her pants being down and hurried to cover herself.

Her breaths were heavy, her head was spinning and she felt like she was in a daze. After what felt like forever, but in reality had only been a few minutes, she finally looked up and noticed the person who had knocked Robert over the head with one of her living room lamps.

* * *

**AN 2: I wonder who knocked Robert's sorry ass out.**

**DV Quote: "In situations of captivity the perpetrator becomes the most powerful person in the life of the victim, and the psychology of the victim is shaped by the actions and beliefs of the perpetrator."**

**Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

**AN: Chapter starts off with a small excerpt from the last chapter. Also, I think I may need a Beta. Message me if anyone is interested.**

**_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word_ **

* * *

_She prayed it wouldn't last long. Except for this time, the usual occurrence of searing pain, and his heavy sweaty breaths near her ears, while feeling the weight of his thrusts, never happened._

_Instead, she heard a loud thump and something breaking, like glass or ceramic, and then a grunt as Robert's whole body collapsed on her own._

_She opened her eyes and let out a small strangled cry as blood trickled down Robert's head and his half naked body lay listless on top of her's. She quickly pushed him off of her and crawled back on the bed, her fear driven adrenaline did not allow her to feel the pain from her injured wrist, or the shards of ceramic cutting her hands and half exposed thighs. Self-conscious about her body, she was quickly aware of her pants being down and hurried to cover herself._

_Her breaths were heavy, her head was spinning and she felt like she was in a daze. After what felt like forever, but in reality had only been a few minutes, she finally looked up and noticed the person who had knocked Robert over the head with one of her living room lamps._

Jo's rescuer stood shocked, her eyes wide as she focused on the back of Robert's now bleeding head. Her hands were trembling, but remained held out in front of her, as if the lamp, that she had just used to crack Jo's boyfriend over the head, was still in them.

"Blair?" Jo whispered worriedly. She could tell the woman was frightened.

The blonde didn't budge.

"Blair?" She tried again, her voice firmer as she struggled to stand and walk toward the other woman. Her body protested with every move. She was in a lot of pain. Tonight Robert had been overly ‘zealous’ when dishing out his ‘discipline’.

"Blair." Jo reached out and tenderly clutched Blair's shaking hands in her own.

Finally, the woman in question slowly turned toward Jo.

Concern filled eyes unconsciously took in the beaten brunette's features.

_Black and blue, swollen wrist._

_Scrapes and cuts along her forearms._

_Finger marks along her neck._

_Swollen and cut lip._

_Bruise to her left cheek._

_Slight gash just below her eye._

_Disheveled hair._

Under normal circumstances, Blair would find and had found in the past, that last one, extremely sexy. But not now. Not like this. Never like this.

Jo felt shame as she watched soft brown orbs with green and gold flecks dance over her body taking silent inventory of her injuries.

Finally, Blair's eyes landed on all too familiar green ones. Except for this time, they weren't familiar at all. They were sad...and embarrassed...and ashamed...and in pain.

 _So much pain._ Blair noted.

Her heart hurt at the lost look in Jo's eyes. The eyes Blair used to secretly get lost in every chance she got were nowhere to be found.

_How could this happen? How could this happen to Jo?_

Her mind reeled at their current situation. How many times had she pretended to be mad at Jo just so she could go toe to toe with her, throwing insults her way, if only to catch a glimpse of those expressive orbs that she loved to gaze at so much. And now...they were…

_Dim. Hollow. Dead._

Tears sprang to Jo's eyes. "Blair, please…" She didn't even really know what she wanted to ask of the blonde.

"Is he…" Blair's voice cracked. Jo could tell she was scared.

"Dead?" Jo asked in disgust. "I'm not that lucky." She hadn't checked, but she was sure, with her luck, he was very much alive and would be very much ready to seek revenge once he woke up with a knot on his head and what she was sure would be a headache from hell.

"You gotta get out of here," she whimpered as she began to lead Blair toward the hall. She didn't know how long they had and she didn't want Robert to know it was Blair that had laid him out. He hated the blonde as it was. Jo would never forgive herself if he ever hurt Blair.

Blair absentmindedly nodded as Jo let go of her still quivering hands.

"That's a good idea. We should hurry before he wakes up," Blair muttered. Her eyes darted around the room for some sort of a bag or suitcase.

Jo furrowed her eyebrows. "Blair…"

"Should we pack?" The blonde heiress' brain was in overdrive. _Maybe not all of Jo's clothes, but some. Yes, definitely some. Jo hates it when I try to fix problems with money. Buying her new clothes would probably be a big no, no. It's winter. She needs her winter clothes._

"Where's your duffle bag?" Blair asked as she stepped around Jo and further into the room.

"You know…" She let out a nervous chuckle as she walked toward Jo's closet. "I hate that thing. You've had it since you first came to Eastland. I get that you're a penny pincher, Jo, but surely you can get a new bag once every fifteen years."

"Blair…" Jo whispered quietly as she noticed the blonde starting to panic.

Blair hastily walked past her and tossed the duffle bag onto Jo's dresser. "Start grabbing your important papers because you'll, um...need those and…we really should, uh...pack at least some clothes...it's been an especially cold winter so..." She fretfully searched Jo's drawers for said winter clothes. _What am I doing? Is there even time for packing? How long will Robert be out?_

"We should call the police," she stated, never stopping her search through Jo's drawers for adequate winter attire. "I know...I know...you're a cop. I just meant that since he's...you know...also a cop...but he was hurting you and...I...I had no choice...he was...hur...hurting you..." she whimpered, but quickly reined it in. Jo needed her to be strong.

"Blair..." Jo tried again as she walked up to the blonde and placed her hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure he gets up, but...I'm not going with…"

Jo couldn't finish her sentence as she was caught off guard when, in an uncharacteristic move, Blair furiously shrugged her hand away as she turned around with an anger filled stare. "Don't you dare say you're not coming with me!"

Jo swallowed thickly. More tears trailed down her cheeks. "I can't." She shook her head. She was scared. Once Robert woke up he would be seeking revenge...and not only physically...he would ruin her career. He'd out her to her friends and family. They'd hate her. They'd disown her. He'd tell Blair about her feelings for her. Blair would probably be the first to abandon her. Hate her for lying to her all these years. Loathe her for secretly pining after her.

Blair took in a shaky breath. She realized that her always rough and tough best friend was only a shell of the woman she had once been. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...yell. I just...Jo...please...I can't leave you here."

Silence.

"Jo?" Her voice was desperate.

Jo's eyes flitted toward a still unconscious Robert and then back toward Blair.

Beautiful brown eyes pleaded with Jo.

She nodded slowly. "Okay," was Jo's quiet and nervous reply.

"Okay." Blair mimicked the nod. "Good. That's...good. Okay." Blair sighed in relief.

_How did I not know sooner? How could I have let anyone hurt Jo? What good is having so much money if I can't even protect one of the most important people in my life?_

"Where are your important papers?" Blair mentioned once more as she hurriedly finished throwing clothes into Jo's duffle bag.

Jo's eyes looked toward her closet door. Just behind it sat her safe.

"Can we just...get outta here?" she asked, her voice breaking.

She didn't want to tell Blair that she had no access to her own things. Her social security card, birth certificate, diplomas, transcripts, credit cards, checkbook, keys, cell phone and gun, you name it and it was in her safe. She didn't know the new code as Robert had changed it months ago and didn't allow her to have it. It was just another way to control her and make sure she couldn't leave.

She still didn't understand it. How had she allowed him to slowly steal her independence and break her spirit day by day? If she was on the outside looking in, she'd shake her head at the whole thing. Yet, here she was...another statistic.

Blair heard the urgency in Jo's voice and simply nodded as she decided to forego anymore packing so they could leave. She tossed the duffle bag over her shoulder and side stepped some of the garments she had tossed onto the ground in search of Jo's more wintery clothing. She grabbed Jo's arm and led her out of the bedroom.

Jo swallowed thickly at the mess in the hall she and Robert had left in their wake. Her boot prints were vividly marked along her light grey walls. Some of the figurines from the hall table lay shattered on the ground, as she had probably bumped it while trying to ward off Robert.

Her living room was no better. Robert's leather belt lay in an odd circle on the ground near the far left corner of her living room, where he had last used it on her. Her baby blue and white end table lamp set was no longer a set as one of them was currently in pieces around Robert's body in their bedroom.

She caught a small smear of blood near the wall behind her loveseat, where Robert had slapped her in the mouth.

_It probably happened when I wiped at my lip after the taste of blood invaded my senses._

She looked at Blair for a minute. She was happy that the blonde seemed to have on blinders. Blair's one goal seemed to be the front door.

"Blair..." Jo pulled back a bit. The blonde had a tight grip on her.

Either Blair didn't hear, or pretended not to as she continued to drag Jo along. Blair probably thought that she was thinking of changing her mind about escaping.

"Blair." She tugged harder this time, her voice firmer.

The blonde let out a frustrated sigh as she turned to face Jo.

"I need to call 9-1-1."

Blair nodded. She thought it was an excellent idea. This was Jo's apartment. She didn't have to hide from this idiot. The cops would come and see that…

"I'll just dial and leave it off the hook."

Blair furrowed her eyebrows at the brunette's statement.

Jo caught the look. "They'll answer a call if no one responds. I'll even leave the door unlocked, that way they can easily find Robert."

Jo watched as Blair still seemed confused and somewhat indignant.

"Easily find Robert?"

"We don't need a dead guy on our hands," she snapped at Blair.

"It was self-defense! He was beating you! He was going to ra…"

"You want him dead?!" Jo cut Blair off before she could finish her statement.

Blair shook her head. The good, human side of her, did not want anyone dead. But the side of her that loved Jo wanted Robert to pay for every single bruise, black eye, scratch, assault, and verbal dart he had ever caused her. They needed to wait for the police for that. They needed to tell their side of the story.

Jo walked toward the phone. Her landline hadn't been connected in years, as nowadays everyone used cell phones, but the phone would still work to dial emergency services.

"I don't understand," Blair voiced as Jo picked up the receiver.

Jo closed her eyes and took in a calming breath. After composing herself she turned her attention toward Blair. "Understand what?"

"This?" Blair waved her hands around in frustration at the destruction before her. "How could this...I mean…" Blair shook her head. _Why wasn’t I more persistent in seeking out Jo?_

Tears gathered in Jo's green orbs as a whimper escaped her. She really couldn't explain why this had happened...nor did she want to...and she didn't need Blair being all judgmental.

Blair quickly crossed the room in an attempt to hug Jo, but was angrily pushed away. She swallowed thickly at the death stare she was receiving from the brunette.

"You know, I don't need you Blair. So, if you're going to be like this...then...just leave."

"I apologize," was all Blair said. She had to get Jo out of there.

Jo nodded, dialed 9-1-1, and dropped the receiver onto the couch as she grabbed a frame from atop her fireplace. "Let's go."

"Nine, one, one...what's your emergency? Hello, nine, one, one...what's your emergency?" The 9-1-1 operator's voice could barely be heard through the thick cotton material of the cushions as Jo and Blair ran out the front door and toward Blair's car.

* * *

Jo had her head down, too ashamed to engage with Blair. She entertained herself by watching her right leg nervously shake up and down, lost in her own thoughts. She had just lost everything. She had no money, no car, no motorcycle, although Robert had forbade that long ago. She couldn't go back to work now. They would all know she was a dyke. They probably wouldn't want her to work with the women and children anymore. Robert would go into detail of how disgusting and perverted she was. How'd she do things to him...sexual things.

Blair was no better off on her side of the car, as her hands tightly gripped and rubbed the mojave beige colored steering wheel. She too had many thoughts running through her head. All of her's stemmed from the same place...keeping Jo safe. _Should we stay at my house? At a hotel? Leave the state? Leave the country? It would take money...would Jo let me foot the bill? What is Jo feeling? How many times has Robert done these things to her? How many times has he...raped her? Was this his first attempt? Or has Jo already been violated by him?_

"Stop the car, please," Jo barely got out.

"What?" Blair's eyes darted back and forth between Jo and the road, pretty much as they had been doing all night since they left Jo's apartment.

"I'm sick. Please stop the car," Jo muttered. If she uttered one more word Blair would be having one heck of a car detailing bill in the near future.

The blonde quickly checked her mirrors as she crossed a few lanes toward the shoulder, where she began to ease her SUV into an idle position.

Jo didn't even wait for the vehicle to make a complete stop before she undid her seatbelt and opened its door. No sooner did she do that, she began to retch.

Blair threw on the hazard lights, undid her own belt, let herself out and ran toward the other side of her car to check on Jo.

She found her hunched over. She gently held back the brunette's hair away from her face as she lovingly rubbed circles on Jo's back.

"I hate throwing up," Jo cried in between bouts of heaving.

"I know. I'm sorry," Blair soothed as she continued to massage Jo's back. Living with the brunette for fifteen years, she knew Jo hated being sick. "Take deep breaths."

"I wasn't looking up," Jo explained, her breathing labored as she was still heaving.

Blair let out a troubled sigh. She knew Jo hadn't been looking up and that she suffered from motion sickness in the car when she didn't. She feared that the brunette would get sick and lo and behold.

After several more minutes, Jo was finally able to sit up again.

"Thanks," she whispered in regard to Blair comforting her while she was puking all over the highway.

Blair gave her a sad smile, "Anytime...and thanks for not doing it in the car," she tried to tease.

Despite their situation, Jo chuckled. Of course Blair would be concerned about her fancy car's interior at a time like this.

Blair threw her a knowing wink, glad to see a smile, albeit a small one, on Jo's face. She hadn't realized how much she missed it.

Jo's smile quickly faded though as she was ashamed and embarrassed for how Blair had found her tonight. Beaten, bruised, and about to be forced into having sex with Robert.

To make matters worse, she forgot that she got car sick when she didn't stare out the window, which added further insult to injury in front of Blair. _Really sexy, Polniaczek. If you ever had a sliver of hope before of Blair seeing you as more than just a friend...it is surely gone now._

"Oh, here." Blair reached over Jo to hand her a bottled water that had been sitting in the cup holder. She was on her tippy toes, practically laying across the brunette's lap.

Jo took in a shaky breath as Blair's breast had grazed her own. The blonde was fumbling around with something in the middle counsel of her car. Jo's eyes darted toward Blair's nether region. The blonde had always had a wondrous ass...and now said wondrous ass was practically grinding against her hands, while her frontal area rubbed against Jo's stomach.

"I only took a few sips," Blair advised as she stood back up and handed Jo the bottled water and a napkin.

Jo simply nodded with an uneasy smile as she took the proffered drink. Having Blair on her like that had heated her to the core and she didn't trust herself to use words right now. She instead undid the lid to the bottled water and drank a huge gulp. The cold liquid felt good as it hit her windpipe. She took several more desperate gulps, not realizing how thirsty she had been. It helped calm her aching throat. All the yelling, crying and throwing up she had been doing had definitely left her hoarse and sore, not to mention when Robert had choked her.

 _Blair must've just gotten it right before driving to my apartment tonight._ Jo mused as the temperature of the beverage was quite cool.

Blair had been rubbing her hand up and down Jo's arm, in a sign of comfort, but the night wind picked up and the blonde felt a shiver.

She hugged herself, rubbing her own arms up and down in quick motions as she blew into her hands briefly in order to try to warm up before going back to comforting Jo.

"You should get back in the car before you catch a cold," Jo whispered.

"You too." She motioned her head for Jo to sit back. The brunette did as she was told, Blair closed the door for her and then ran to her own side of the car.

Jo watched as Blair hopped in and let out a shaky grunt. She turned the car heater's temperature up warmer and stronger.

Jo put down the water bottle she had been drinking from and placed her hands up to the car's air vents to try to warm them. She swallowed thickly as she noted just how badly bruised and cut up they were. She chanced a glance toward Blair without fully turning her head.

The blonde seemed to be looking everywhere but Jo's way. Jo knew that Blair had seen her hands. She also knew that Blair knew her enough to allow her to save face. Jo slowly moved her hands away from the air vents and placed them on the side of her thighs. _Out of sight out of mind._

It was a quiet night. Surprisingly, even the highway was calm. It was late, Jo noted, plus a holiday. That could be the reason. _Silent Night and all that._ Any noise coming from whatever car that did pass was blocked out by Blair's Porsche's Cayenne S' super quiet cabin.

Jo threw another glance Blair's way, her hands were once again anxiously rubbing the steering wheel.

"What's the plan?" Jo whispered.

Blair took in a breath as she looked toward Jo and gave her a sad smile. "I didn't really have one except for you know…" _Getting you away from that sleaze._

Jo nodded.

"I thought maybe we could go to my house and then…"

Jo shook her head fearfully. "That'll be the first place he looks. He'll find me Blair. He'll find me and he'll…" _He'll hurt you._

"Okay. Hey...it's okay." Blair reached over and tenderly squeezed Jo's thigh.

Jo's eyes trailed down to Blair's hand. Blair's hand that was just a mere inch from her core. She gulped and her breathing sped up as the blonde continued to ‘comfort’ her.

"How about a hotel?" Blair's voice brought Jo out of her trance.

"No. He's a cop...he can easily use his title to look up your name, my name, our friends and family...he'll find me." She shook her head at how paranoid she was being. He'd have to search a lot of hotels...yet, she knew Robert would eventually find her and when he did...well, she...she just couldn't think about that now.

"Your mom's?" Blair said with uncertainty. She noticed that Rose and Jo seemed off tonight when they were around each other.

Jo let out a snarky laugh. "No thanks."

Blair nodded. "Oooo...kay."

Regardless of how she felt about her mother at the moment, Jo knew that Rose's apartment would probably be the second place Robert would go looking for her.

Blair sighed because she had an idea, but knowing Jo…

"You could stay at my neighbor's."

Jo angrily turned her head toward Blair. "I don't want anybody seeing me like this Blair! God, it's bad enough you came snooping around when I told you the hell not to. You never could just mind your own goddamn business!"

"You know what, Jo? You _are_ my business. I get that you're angry and that there's a lot going on right now, but don't you ever tell me that you're not _my_ goddamn business."

They stared at each other with fire in their eyes, much like they had done in their teen years. Jo's mother had always told her she was a bully, and the woman was right...but if there was ever someone who gave her a run for her money by not backing down when the brunette tried to intimidate her...Blair Warner was it.

"Now, I know that you don't want anyone seeing you like this. Fifteen years, Jo. Fifteen years. Half of our lives. I know you. I would never put you in that position. I simply want to borrow Dani's place, but I'll make sure she stays away for a while."

"And Dani's just going to let you kick her out of her home? Wow...you all must have a great relationship!"

Blair let out a frustrated breath. "Take it or leave it."

Jo let out another snarky laugh. "Right…'cause you'll drive me back home."

"To that...that...monster? No."

"Not much of a choice then," Jo bit back.

Blair was at her wits end, the face she was giving Jo did nothing to hide it.

"Fine. Call Saint Dani." The brunette shrugged as she looked out her passenger side window into the dark off highway field.

Blair rolled her eyes at Jo's impertinence as she gave her car's Bluetooth system the command to call Dani.

"Snoots?" Dani questioned worriedly, it was almost nearing two in the morning.

 _Snoots?_ Jo thought to herself as her face held clear disgust at the nickname being used toward Blair. _Blair hates nicknames._

"Hey, bubba…you sound wide awake," Blair stated.

_Aw, come on. For crying out loud. Bubba? I mean, she uses my nickname, and Tootie's, and even Nat's, but we're different._

Dani chuckled. "Uh...so do you," the young girl answered in reference to being awake. "Is that why you called me...to make sure I was wide awake?"

"No, listen...I...I need to run by Gaby's and pick up your house key from you...and I also need you to not come home in the next couple of days or so. Maybe you can bunk at Gaby's? Or, if you need to stay at a hotel I'll get you a room."

Jo furrowed her eyebrows as she looked toward Blair. "No money, Blair," she angrily mouthed.

There went Blair again, using money to bail Jo out of _her_ problems.

Blair just held her hand up, almost in a dismissive manner, which only got Jo madder as she shook her head.

"I'm cool at Gaby's. Is everything ok?"

"It's something private that came up...an emergency," Blair advised.

"Alright, well, then I guess...mi casa es su casa. If you need anything just call me."

"Great. I'll be at Gaby's in about half an hour."

"No need."

Blair furrowed her eyebrows. "I need your key, genius."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...favors and insults? I'll have you know that my spare key...the one for emergencies...such as this...the one that you advised we did not need to trade...for emergencies...such as this...is lying cozily next to your spare key in your little rinky dink rock outside your front door. It's just a good thing that it's not my style to listen to you."

"Yes, you've always been very good at that," Blair smirked. She loved Dani, but the kid had a way of always doing the complete opposite of what Blair would ask of her. Except for when she knew Blair was serious. Dani said she could tell when that was because the vein in the side of Blair's neck would bulge.

"So, I suppose now is when you say 'I told you so'?" Blair asked playfully.

Dani chuckled. "No, no I told you so."

"What happened to no qualms?" Blair checked.

"Not my style," Dani admitted quietly.

"I know. Thanks bubba. Love you," Blair stated affectionately.

Jo let out a frustrated breath. Blair heard it and turned to look at the brunette, but Jo had turned in her seat and was now staring out the window, arms crossed across her chest.

"Love you too. Bye," Dani replied as the call disconnected.

Jo knew she was being silly. Dani was clearly a kid and Blair thought of her as such, but yet, for some reason, Jo didn't like her...she was too close to Blair.

"Ready?" Blair whispered worriedly toward Jo.

The brunette didn't turn back to face her, but instead simply nodded. She wasn't ready...or sure of anything right now. All of a sudden, she felt alone, with nothing. Tears pricked at her eyes. She quickly reached up to dry them as she noticed the dark field she had been staring at for the last twenty minutes or so got further and further as Blair drove them to Peekskill.

* * *

It had been a rather quiet ride back home. The women had been lost in thought. As they pulled up to Blair's driveway, the blonde was the first to break the silence. "You want to walk to Dani's real quick while I find the key?"

The brunette simply nodded again, offering no words as she undid her seatbelt and let herself out of Blair's car.

Blair let out a stressed sigh as she watched a slumped shouldered Jo walk toward Dani's front door. She quickly made her way to her own door and found her fake rock. She opened it up and took out Dani's key. She couldn't help but chuckle at the curlied haired brunette's antics.

She quickly made her way over to the young woman's house to let Jo in. She noticed the brunette's lips were trembling. In Blair's hurry, she never did get Jo her coat.

"I'm sorry. Let's get you inside and warmed up." Blair side hugged Jo to her as she fumbled around with Dani's lock for a few seconds. She finally got the door opened and they bumbled inside letting out shaky, shivery, grunts.

"Heat's on," Blair muttered. "I can start you a fire," she suggested.

Jo nodded.

Blair walked toward Dani's fireplace to get it going. She kept a watchful eye on Jo. The brunette was just standing in the middle of the living room with a glossed over look in her eyes. She was withdrawn. It troubled Blair.

"You hungry? I can heat up some canned soup or…"

"No," was the whispered reply from the brunette.

"Okay, uh...thirsty? Something hot or cold? I can make you some tea…"

"No."

Blair nodded, at a loss as to what else to do.

"Um...here...sit." She led Jo toward the sitting chair nearest to the fireplace.

She slowly passed her hands over Jo's injured ones. "I'm sure there's a first-aid kit around here somewhere," she stated tenderly.

"Bath."

Blair looked up surprised at Jo's request.

"I'm dirty. I want a bath," she repeated with tear filled eyes.

Blair nodded as she grabbed the brunette's hands tenderly and helped her up and toward Dani's guest room with the ensuite bathroom.

"There's fresh towels and shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, uh...no perfume. I can get you perfume from my place, or Dani's room...I think she has…" Blair flitted around nervously pointing out all the toiletries while Jo stood in the middle of the bathroom staring aimlessly at the tub.

"I'm fine," Jo replied quietly.

Blair nodded. "Okay. I'll uh...leave you to it while I look for that first-aid kit," she gave Jo a rueful smile and left her to her privacy.

* * *

Jo had turned on the shower to the hottest temperature that her skin could stand. The water was pressurized and Jo was thankful as she scrubbed and scrubbed Robert off of her.

Now she was sitting in the tub, her head against the cold tiled shower wall as she watched the drip from the tub's faucet.

_Drip...drip...…..drip._

_Drip...drip...….drip._

_Drip...drip…...drip._

"Jo? Everything alright?" she heard Blair ask from the other side of the door.

She brought her hand up and covered her eyes as she let out a whimpered cry. Everything was not alright.

"Jo?" Blair repeated apprehensively. It had been quite some time since the water had been turned off.

"Give me a min…" her voice cracked.

She cleared her throat. "Give me a minute."

She made quick work of draining the tub, drying herself off, and getting dressed. No lotion, perfume, or deodorant was used. What was the point?

She did brush her teeth. _He_ had _slobbered_ all over her earlier when he was making her ‘confess’ her feelings for Blair.

 _Why be a dyke, attracted to Blair, when I should be all the man you need?_ Robert's voice echoed in her head.

She could still taste him. At the thought, she gagged on the toothbrush Blair had set out for her. The blonde had found a packaged one in one of the vanity's drawers.

She spit out the toothpaste, rinsed her mouth, dried it with one of the hand towels that hung nearby, then headed toward the door to meet Blair.

* * *

The blonde was sitting on the bed, hands folded in her lap, her right foot tapping anxiously. As soon as she heard the bathroom's door being pulled open she jumped up.

Green eyes caught concerned brown ones.

"Everything okay with the shower?" Blair could've face palmed herself. _Stupid question._

Jo nodded.

"I uh...found the first-aid kit. Sit...I'll fix you right up."

Jo tensed at the term Blair used. "Fix me up?" Her voice trembled.

Blair noticed. "Uh...your cuts...I...I'll clean them up with medicine."

Jo nodded and sat on the bed as indicated as Blair sat beside her. The blonde brought the first-aid kit closer and opened it up.

She grabbed the antiseptic spray and a piece of gauze. She drenched the cloth with the medication and wadded it up as she brought it up to the cut on Jo's lip. Jo flinched and hissed as it made contact.

"I know. I'm sorry," Blair apologized as she leaned over and blew gentle puffs of air over Jo's cut to ease the sting. "I'm so sorry."

Jo swallowed thickly at the action. Her eyes fell toward the blonde's soft pink lips and then up toward soft brown eyes with green and gold flecks.

Blair squinted her eyes at Jo, it was playful and flirty.

Jo's cheeks flushed as she quickly dropped her gaze toward the floor.

Blair smirked knowingly, a flustered Jo was cute.

The blonde continued her curing session of the cuts and scrapes on Jo's face, arms, and hands. Finally, she wrapped Jo's injured wrist with a light piece of gauze after applying a menthol and hemp liquid roll on, which, according to the label, should help with the pain and the bruising.

"I can uh...take care of my thighs," Jo whispered. It had been the only part of her body that Blair hadn't applied medicine to.

Blair nodded as she handed the kit to Jo.

"So, I was thinking tomorrow we can go talk to my lawyer, and we have to call your job, and your mom...she's probably worried sick...and Magda...Mrs. Garrett…"

"Hold on a minute," Jo protested as Blair started making plans for her.

"You need a couple of days. Of course. Sorry. I just thought…"

"Do me a favor, Blair...don't think so much...especially when it comes to _my life!_ "

Blair furrowed her eyebrows at the anger Jo was directing at her.

"I'm going back home tomorrow anyways...or well...today." She realized it was almost five in the morning.

"Back home?" Blair questioned angrily.

"Yes, you know...the place I had before you came butting your nose in where it didn't belong."

"Yes, yes...home...with the _love of your life_...Robert. Home...to beatings and rape?" Blair snapped.

Jo's nostrils flared. "At least I had a home, and a job, which helped pay my bills and my mother's! All my life Blair, you knew that's what I wanted...to be able to help my mom out financially and now I'm going to LOSE IT ALL BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! LIKE ALWAYS! BECAUSE IT DIDN'T COST _YOU_ ANYTHING!"

"You are my business and if you say that one more time I swear Joanna Marie Polniaczek, I'll…"

"You'll what?" Jo sneered. "I don't need you to rescue me, Blair...or better yet...your money...because let's face it...without that...you're nothing!"

Blair's eyes glossed over with unshed tears. Blair Warner was not a crier. Her role as a young woman in society taught her to hold back her feelings. Bottle them up. _What will people say, dear?_ She could hear her mother's voice.

"Your little stunt tonight almost cost me everything...and I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that... _princess_ . So, we aren't going to call any lawyers, or my job, or our friends and family. I'm _going_ back home. I'll take care of this Robert situation all on my own...no money needed... _especially_ not yours. I'll go to work as if nothing happened. I'll keep paying my mom's bills as if nothing happened...and we never have to talk about this ever again...to anyone. Got it?"

Blair simply nodded. Her fists were held tight at her sides as she bit back the urge to cry.

"Good. Now, you can either drive me back home later today, or I can take a cab...either way _I'll_ pay for the fare...or your gas money. What's it going to be?" Jo didn't mention an Uber because she didn't have her phone with her.

"Keep your money," Blair advised, two seconds away from breaking down in front of Jo. "And know this...I will never, ever, take you anywhere that I know you're not safe."

"Cab it is then," Jo angrily retorted.

Blair shook her head.

"I'm tired," Jo stated, her Bronx accent in full swing. She motioned Blair toward the bedroom door hinting that she wanted her to leave.

The blonde turned on her heel and ran toward her home, tears already trailing down her cheeks.

* * *

Mrs. Garrett frettingly paced the expanse of Blair's living room. The young woman had dropped her off after their Christmas dinner earlier that night, or yesterday, Mrs. Garrett realized.

She told Mrs. Garrett she had an errand to run and would be back soon. That was almost six hours ago.

Blair hurriedly unlocked her door and shut it behind her.

"Where have you been young lad…" Mrs. Garrett's shrill voice began to chastise Blair, but stopped when she noticed the young blonde let out a choked sob.

If there was one thing Edna Garrett knew about Blair Warner was that the young woman rarely cried.

"Blair?" Edna's voice was full of panic as she quickly walked over to the distraught woman.

"Blair?" she repeated when the blonde continued to sob in a state of hyperventilation.

"Did someone hurt you? Blair?!" Edna anxiously searched the young woman for any signs of harm.

Blair shook her head as she hugged Mrs. Garrett.

Edna lovingly patted her back.

"I'm...I'm o...o...okay...Mrs. Ga...Ga...rrett," she assured in between hiccupped cries.

Edna stroked her hair. They stood like that for several minutes as Blair started to calm down.

Mrs. Garrett's soft hands in her hair and on her back were lulling her.

The young woman pulled back and gave Mrs. Garrett an embarrassed smile. "I was being silly. I was just upset over something stupid. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Mrs. Garrett gently caressed her cheek. She knew Blair was lying and she suspected as to who Blair was crying about.

"And I'm sorry about being late and not calling."

"Where were you?" Mrs. Garrett questioned.

She knew Blair was grown and that this was Blair's house. That she was just spending a few nights, but she still worried about her girls...all of them.

"I was…" Blair began, but they were interrupted by a loud, persistent knock at Blair's door.

The blonde pulled away from Mrs. Garrett to look through her peephole. Her eyes became wide when she noticed the person on the other side.

Mrs. Garrett easily picked up on the blonde's uneasiness.

"Blair, who is it?"

Blair brought her pointer finger up to her lips and led Mrs. Garrett toward the kitchen.

"Mrs. Garrett, can you please open the door and if Robert asks for me...I've been home all night, sleeping."

Mrs. Garrett furrowed her eyebrows. "Jo's Robert?"

Blair made a face. "Yes, Jo's Robert," she confirmed.

Mrs. Garrett nodded and Blair ran upstairs. The older woman made sure the blonde was out of sight before walking toward the front door to open it.

Robert's fist stopped mid-air when Blair's front door swung open to reveal the nosey little old lady that would often visit Jo.

 _Or use to._ Robert made sure to take control of that real quick. The older woman was perceptive. Surely she'd figure him out with just a few more visits, so he had made it _clear_ to Jo that Mrs. Garrett was no longer welcome in their home.

"Mrs. Garrett, good to see you." He plastered on a fake smile.

Mrs. Garrett didn't like the feel of this. Blair coming home in such a state. Being out all night. Looking scared as can be when she realized Robert was at the door. Asking Mrs. Garrett to lie about her whereabouts tonight. She didn't like this at all.

"Robert, it's almost six a.m. Is everything alright? Is it Jo?"

"Actually, Mrs. Garrett, I thought you all might know where Jo was at?"

Panic fell upon Mrs. Garrett. "What do you mean, where Jo is at? She...she had a call tonight at work...she cut Christmas dinner short with us because of it." Mrs. Garrett worriedly shook her head.

Robert could tell the older woman was genuinely concerned about Jo, therefore not in the know about where Jo could be.

"Is Blair home?" he asked. Surely that bitch knew where Jo was at. _Probably together._

"Uh, yes...upstairs. I'll...I'll get her," Edna advised as she walked upstairs toward Blair's room. She found the young blonde rubbing something on her face.

"Blair, Robert is asking for you. Jo's missing." Mrs. Garrett's voice was full of unease.

Blair simply nodded as she continued to wipe her face. As soon as she had come upstairs she had taken off her clothes and threw on some pajamas. She had also washed her face and was now adding just a little bit of Vaseline so that it would look like she just woke up. She threw the towelette in the trash and went to meet Robert downstairs, Mrs. Garrett on her heels.

"Robert?" Blair greeted with a hint of confusion. It was starting to set in. _How the hell is he here?_

She supposed it had been hours since she and Jo left her house. They stopped while Jo was sick and to talk to Dani about the key. They had also been at Dani's house for a few hours. That could be enough time for the cops to find Robert and take him to get checked out at a hospital. She wondered what lies he spun them.

Without realizing it, the genuine confusion on Blair's face actually helped as Robert thought it to be more about Mrs. Garrett probably telling Blair Jo was missing.

"Blair, when was…" Robert stopped mid sentence as he shook his head while holding on to the doorframe.

"Are you alright, Robert? You seem a little pale," Mrs. Garrett asked.

"Uh, yeah...I...work thing...some perps knocked me good in the back of the head. Went to the hospital….got like twenty-four stitches. I'm still a bit dizzy." He tightened his eyes to clear his vision.

Blair pursed her lips to suppress a giggle. Mrs. Garrett noticed.

"Anyways, Blair...have you seen Jo?"

Blair shook her head. "Not since before I came home and went to bed." _Not a lie per se._

"Well, uh...she had a work call tonight and it must've run late. I just thought maybe she was here. I didn't mean to bother you all."

"Maybe we should call her? I'll just grab my pho…" Blair suggested as she motioned upstairs.

"NO!" Robert cut her off.

Blair and Mrs. Garrett jumped back at the loud objection, Blair clutched onto Mrs. Garrett's arm. Robert noticed.

He let out an uneasy chuckle. "I just meant...no need. She left her phone at home. I'll uh...call the station...and Magda. Actually, Jo may already be home for all I know and I am here worrying you all for nothing. Evening." He nodded as he turned to leave.

_Maybe that bitch is at her mother's. All I know is whoever the fuck knocked me out is going to pay...and Jo's is going to wish she'd never been born. Stupid dyke._

"Robert?" Mrs. Garrett called out.

He turned to face her.

"As soon as Jo gets home, please call us...I...I worry about her," she advised, her tone firm.

"Of course Mrs. Garrett. As soon as she gets home I'll let her know how distraught she had all of us." He gave Blair a menacing look. The blonde couldn’t breathe as she gripped Mrs. Garrett's arm a little tighter.

They watched as Robert made it to his car and peeled out of the driveway. Blair ran to close her front door. She passed both locks, let out a sigh of relief and stared aimlessly at the wooden door.

"Blair?" Mrs. Garrett's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Mrs. Garrett?" she answered respectfully, but didn't turn around. Her eyes remained glued to a spot on the closed door.

"That errand you ran tonight, did it have to do with Jo?"

"Yes, Mrs. Garrett." Her breathing sped up. 

Mrs. Garrett nodded. "Is she safe?" she asked knowingly.

Blair closed her eyes. "Yes, Mrs. Garrett." _For now._

"Knowing Jo, I'm sure she asked you to not tell me anything...and I won't push so you won't break her trust, but if one of my girls is in trouble, I won't stand around idly...you can tell her that for me. Although, I'm sure you both are well aware of that...aren't you?"

The young blonde turned to meet the concerned blue eyes of the woman who practically raised her. "Yes, Mrs. Garrett."

"Good." Mrs. Garrett nodded and then headed upstairs to bed.

Blair let out a shaky breath.

* * *

Jo lay with her back facing the bedroom door, her body shook as little whimpered cries escaped her. She was in pain. Blair hated her. She was scared, so she lashed out. She was tired, so she lashed out. And now the stupid sun was rising and she just couldn't get herself to sleep, which made her even crankier and more exhausted.

Blair knocked lightly on the bedroom door where her best friend was sleeping. When she received no answer she quietly stepped inside.

She frowned as she noticed Jo's body shaking and soft hiccupped cries emanating from her.

She crawled into bed and hugged Jo from behind. Jo stiffened at the touch.

"It's me. It's me. I'm sorry," Blair assured. "Is this okay?" she whispered when Jo still felt a little tense in her arms.

The brunette nodded. It was more than okay.

She had been so horrible to Blair... and she knew the reason. She loved Blair... and she was afraid Blair would find out the truth. Then, when Blair remembered these moments... these secret intimate ones that belonged only to them, knowing Jo's true feelings for her, she'd dismiss them as sick and perverted. That would break Jo.

_How will I face Blair when Robert outs me?_

"Are you still mad at me?" Jo asked quietly.

"I was never mad," Blair simply stated.

Jo turned in her arms. Their eyes met and Blair gave her a sad smile as she tenderly tucked Jo's hair behind her ear. "I was hurt."

Jo nodded, her already tear brimmed eyes glossed over with a fresh batch. "You forgive me?"

"Always," was her honest reply.

They shared a wistful smile.

"Robert came by." Blair didn't want to keep secrets from Jo.

The brunette's eyes opened wide as she made her way to get up.

Blair held her close. "Hey, it's okay."

She eased Jo back down and passed her fingers lovingly over Jo's cheeks, her nose, her lips. "It's okay. He's gone."

"What did he want?"

"He wanted to know if we had seen you after dinner tonight."

"We?" Jo furrowed her eyebrows.

"Mrs. Garrett came back home with me. I have a few weeks off and she wanted to go shopping and just spend quality time with me, so she's staying with me for a couple of days."

Jo nodded. Her heart was a little jealous that Mrs. G. was staying with Blair and that she had made no plans to spend quality time with her. It was her own fault. She pushed her away. Just another thing Robert took from her.

"She knows?" Jo asked.

"She suspects and she wants to...to see you and talk to you. She loves you and she wants to make sure you know that."

Jo nodded, more tears gathered in her eyes.

"How'd Robert look?" Jo asked, her own fingers now absentmindedly caressing Blair's face.

Blair paid attention for an inflection in Jo's voice or perhaps a certain look on her face.

She wanted to make sure the brunette wasn't genuinely worried about the man before giving her honest answer versus a more generic one for Jo's sake. Her friend had been through a lot tonight and Blair didn't want to add any unnecessary stress.

However, she realized there wasn't concern for Robert in Jo's voice, but more so, worry and curiosity for herself.

"He almost passed out and made up some lie about a perp knocking him over the head. He got twenty-four stitches." She said the last part proudly as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Jo couldn't help but chuckle. "Who knew you were such a badass," she playfully replied.

They laughed together for a few minutes at Robert's predicament.

The laughter eventually died down as they lovingly stared at each other.

Blair once again brushed Jo's hair out of her face. "Do you remember when we were younger and you...you stayed up with me all night so I would keep my mind off of Chad?"

Jo nodded.

"You even let me put makeup on you," Blair teased with wide eyes.

"Don't remind me." Jo rolled hers.

Blair smiled. "The point is...you said you would do anything you had to do to keep my mind off of Chad...because you knew he was hurting me...not physically, but…" Blair shrugged.

"He was still abusive, Blair," Jo whispered.

Blair nodded. "I might not be the strongest Jo, but...I love you with all my heart...and I also would do _anything_ I have to to protect you...and sometimes...sometimes the only way I know how is with money. I would move heaven and earth to make sure you were safe."

"I know." Jo swallowed heavily. "I was wrong for that money comment. You're a lot more than your money, Blair, a lot more."

They shared a knowing smile.

"Blair, what if one day...you find out something so awful about me that...that it drives you away?"

"Jo…" Blair started but was cut off by Jo, who was avoiding the blonde’s eyes.

"Robert knows things about me, Blair. I've...I've done awful things with him. Disgusting things...such disgusting things...he would…" She whimpered.

"Jo…" Blair tried again.

"And he...he knows secrets about me...and he'll tell...and you'll hate me," she cried.

Tears gathered in Blair's eyes because she could only imagine what Jo was implying. She probably felt ashamed for sexual things that Robert would make her do.

"Jo…" She tenderly raised her chin so that they were staring at each other. "I love you...and nothing that Robert has to say will ever change that."

"You don't know," Jo whispered.

"I know you. I know what I feel here." She placed Jo's hand over her heart.

They smiled at each as Blair's heartbeat sped up at the touch.

"And I know that nothing that he can ever say to me will be different from what I've always known to be true from you in here." She then placed her hand over Jo's heart.

"Face it, Polniaczek, you are what you are and that's good enough for me."

"That's my line." Jo smiled softly.

"Sue me." She playfully scrunched her nose.

Jo chuckled. "I love it when you do that." She tenderly booped Blair's nose.

Blair blushed at the rare sign of affection from Jo.

"You feel better?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Now that I know I'm stuck with ya? Meh…" Jo shrugged teasingly. "I could think of worse things," she said, playfully repeating her sentiment from earlier that night when Blair had mentioned the Secret Santa Drawing. _God, that can’t be right. I feel like the party was ages ago. What a long night._ Jo thought in disbelief.

"Can we sleep now?" Blair whispered. She was drained.

Jo nodded. "Yes, but first…" She got out of bed and ran to the corner of the room where her duffle bag lay, as well as the picture frame she grabbed from her apartment earlier that night.

"Here." She walked back toward the bed and handed it to Blair.

"What is this?" Blair sat up, a huge smile on her face as she slowly passed her hand over the intricate framework. She was in awe of the picture of a silver moon shining against the night sky as seen through an open window.

"Your Christmas present. Sorry I couldn't wrap it."

"Jo...it's beautiful. It's perfect." Tears gathered in Blair's eyes as she read the words contained within the picture.

_"The moon was but a chin of gold_

_A night or two ago,_

_And now she turns her perfect face_

_Upon the world below._

_Her forehead is of amplest blond;_

_Her cheek like beryl stone;_

_Her eye unto the summer dew_

_The likest I have known._

_Her lips of amber never part;_

_But what must be the smile_

_Upon her friend she could bestow_

_Were such her silver will!_

_And what a privilege to be_

_But the remotest star!_

_For certainly her way might pass_

_Beside your twinkling door._

_Her bonnet is the firmament,_

_The universe her shoe,_

_The stars the trinkets at her belt,_

_Her dimities of blue."_

"The Moon, by Emily Dickinson," Blair finished off as she looked up at Jo with an adoring smile.

"Turn it over," Jo instructed.

Blair did as she was told and Jo ripped the backing paper in the lower right hand corner.

When she flipped it upward, Blair read the hidden engraving...

_"Blair, you're the most beautiful person I know and although I can't give you the moon, I wanted to make sure you would forever have its caress. Jo."_

* * *

**AN 2: If you're not too familiar with episodes from the Facts of Life, the reference to the Moon poem by Emily Dickinson is from the episode,** **"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner". Season 4 Episode 19, I believe.**

**DV Quote:** **"In a healthy relationship, vulnerability is wonderful. It leads to increased intimacy and closer bonds. When a healthy person realizes that he or she hurt you, they feel remorse and they make amends. It's safe to be honest.**

**In an abusive system, vulnerability is dangerous. It's considered a weakness, which acts as an invitation for more mistreatment. Abusive people feel a surge of power when they discover a weakness. They exploit it, using it to gain more power. Crying or complaining confirms that they've poked you in the right spot."**

**Christina Enevoldsen, The Rescued Soul: The Writing Journey for the Healing of Incest and Family Betrayal**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

**AN: Anybody know a Beta?**

_**Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word** _

* * *

Jo woke up scared, her eyes wide open and her body tense as she felt someone's arms tighten around her. She worriedly searched her surroundings. This was not her apartment.

 _Last night, Robert...did he..._ She swallowed thickly. Yesterday was a blur.

It took her a minute to gain her bearings and realize she was at Dani's and that the person hugging and nuzzling her felt soft and smelled like expensive perfume. A smile took over her features at the thought. She was safe...in Blair's arms.

She wondered what time it was? She had to call her job. She slowly and begrudgingly undid herself from Blair's embrace. The pain that shot through her body a very real and sad reminder that yesterday hadn't just been a very bad dream.

Blair stirred slightly at the loss of Jo against her, "Ev'thing alrigh'?" She sleepily mumbled.

Jo tenderly traced between Blair's eyebrows and down her nose, "Yeah. Go back to sleep." She whispered.

She paid particular attention to the cute little indentation that would form in the middle of the blonde's eyebrows, something Jo had always enjoyed catching a glimpse of since their childhood.

Hooded eyelids fluttered open and soft brown orbs caught Jo's stare, "Stay in bed. It's still early." She lazily pulled at Jo's sweatshirt.

Jo chuckled, "Since when is one in the afternoon early, huh?" She once again gently caressed Blair's nose. She was in pain and she really needed to go to the bathroom, but she had to admit, staying in bed with Blair all day sounded really good.

"Since we went to bed at like six a.m." Came the weak protest as Blair closed her eyes and stretched her muscles, "Is it really one o'clock?"

Jo shook her head, "I'm not sure. You got your phone or somethin'? I gotta call my job...and didn't you say there was a lot to do today?"

"We can do it tomorrow. Stay…" She pulled at Jo's blue sweatshirt once more. "Sleep." She was exhausted from yesterday's events. She could only imagine how Jo was feeling.

"Your's is a tempting offer Miss Warner, but…" Despite everything going on in Jo's life right now, she couldn't help but smile. She had forgotten how beautiful and cuddly the blonde was first thing in the morning. She missed waking up next to Blair, but the brunette was also on edge, "...I really have to call my job. I'm sure my shift already started. Where's your phone?" She gently removed Blair's hand from her shirt.

"Downstairs." Blair sat up with a groan.

"Will ya get it for me?"

Blair nodded, "I also want to call the lawyer. See if he can fit us in."

"Yeah." Jo awkwardly cleared her throat. "Excuse me...I uh...gotta use the 'john'."

"Jo?!" Blair complained at the brunette's use of the ' _vulgar'_ word.

The brunette smirked as she walked towards the bathroom. Blair hated when she was so ' _unrefined'_.

Blair snuggled back under the covers. Just a few more minutes, then she and Jo would start their day. Besides, it couldn't be one o'clock.

* * *

Jo closed the bathroom door behind her and headed straight for the medicine cabinet. She needed aspirin or ibuprofen. She was in excruciating pain. Her body felt like it was on fire all over.

She paused briefly when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her collar bones protruding through her shirt. _All the weight I've lost the last couple of months._

Just above them, Robert's angry fingerprints were easily made out on her neck. Being a day old, they'd taken on a greenish hue. _Nothing a little make-up won't fix._

The cut on her lip had scabbed over, but she noticed it had opened slightly and there was fresh blood on the surface. _Maybe from when I smiled just now?_

She turned on the sink and splashed some water over her face. She paused when her black and blue wrist peaked out from underneath the now unraveling piece of gauze Blair had used to wrap it in just hours ago.

Tears surfaced to her eyes as she angrily pulled it off and dumped it into the trash. _No amount of make-up will help me today._

 _Blair will never fall in love with such an ugly ass trainwreck, Jo._ Robert's voice invaded her mind. She closed her eyes and tried to will it away.

_What the hell are you doing?_

_You gonna report me? It's a slap on the wrist...you and I both know it._

_Don't be stupid Jo._

_You've got more to lose than I do...like your precious Blair._

_What would she even see in ya… look at you, you're a pathetic loser!_

She shook her head, eyes still closed, "Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop." She whispered over and over again. The running water from the faucet drowned out her voice.

She brought up her hands and tapped the sides of her head, "Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Please just stop." The action caused pain to course through her injured wrist and up her arm. She cried quietly as it throbbed. She didn't want to alert Blair about being sore.

"I need some goddamn aspirin." Her voice cracked as she finally opened the medicine cabinet. Her mind wandered as her eyes roved its contents. She knew Blair said there was lots to do today, but she was scared of what going to see Blair's lawyer meant. Or what calling her job meant. She'd have to tell the truth.

If she accused Robert of abuse, he'd be suspended from work temporarily. Arrested for like a day. He'd make bail and then he'd hunt her down knowing she was in town, and if he didn't find her, he'd go after her friends and family. He'd tell them all. He'd tell them about her sinful, sick, perverted tendencies.

She let out a whimpered sob when she couldn't open the damn child safety cap on the medicine bottle she'd found. Her wrist was killing her and she was weak and pathetic. She angrily tossed it across the bathroom, causing it to break open.

"Great. Just great." She cried as she threw herself on all fours to pick up the mess she had made. She froze in place. Her mind went to yet another dark place. Scared green eyes closed once again as another whimpered cry escaped her.

Her body racked with sobs as she tried her hardest to will this one particular memory away.

" _That's right, bitch. That's where you belong. On all fours like the dirty, sick whore you are." Robert groaned with pleasure as he held her head in place with his left hand. He had forced Jo down to the ground on her hands and knees._

" _See honey, I'm not so bad. Blair would never let you do this. She's too uptight...oh, and not a dyke like you." He jiggled the belt in his right hand as a reminder just in case she got out of line as he made her…_

Jo gagged at the vivid memory. She quickly crawled towards the toilet and threw up several times as she remembered the disgusting image. When she was done, she laid herself along the tiled floor. She felt dizzy, so she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the coolness of the tiles against her face.

Several minutes passed and the feeling of lightheadedness faded. She opened her eyes and focused them on the mess of pills sprawled about the ground, "I hate him so much." She whispered.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late." Magda had just walked into the station and was putting her purse in her lower left desk drawer, not really paying attention.

"Ben was…" She trailed off when she finally looked up and realized the person at Jo's desk was not Jo.

"Robert?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Where's Jo?" Her tone was a bit more defensive than she had wanted it to come out. Ever since yesterday she had this sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Hey Magda. Jo's under the weather today so I came in to tell Cap and take home some of her files." He gestured to the mess of papers in front of him.

She nodded, "Well, I can sort those for you. I doubt she needs them all. I know which ones just require her to finish her reports on...those are the ones she asked for, right?"

Something was wrong. She could feel it.

"Right." He nodded back. _Stupid bitch isn't buying it. Why do all of Jo's friends have to be so goddamn nosey!_

"You know what, Magda? She shouldn't be working while she's sick. I'll just uh…leave this alone. I'm sure you can clean it up, no? _Your_ _people_ are good at that." He walked away with a menacing smirk.

Magda bit back her anger and took in a calming breath. _Fuck! I should've never let Jo go home yesterday._

Once Robert was out of sight, she hastily walked towards her Captain's office. She knocked once and heard his voice asking her to come in.

"Detective Ramirez." He looked up from his computer only briefly. "Sit." He motioned to the two well worn chairs in front of his desk.

Magda smirked as the older gentleman typed with only his pointer fingers.

"Am I amusing you today, detective?" His tone was light, yet something about his body language was serious.

"No sir."

He could hear the smile in her voice. He looked up, "I'm old school. You wanted to look up a file you walked to a cabinet, found the first letter of a person's last name, and went from there. But this..." He shook his head at the annoying piece of technology.

Magda nodded in understanding.

"Need help looking someone up?" She offered.

He sighed as he took off his reading glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Being on the force for over thirty five years, he knew when to trust someone and who to trust, "I'm looking up Polniaczek's file. I need to see who her emergency contacts are."

"I caught Robert on his way out." She advised quietly.

"Yeah, he uh...says Jo is real sick and needs a few days off. He looks like shit and...I've uh...I've been worried about her so..." He lifted his hands from the keyboard in a sign of surrender.

Magda nodded. She pointed towards the computer and he moved back so she could access Jo's file. She walked to the other side of his desk and easily punched in a few commands.

"Blair." She knowingly whispered when Jo's emergency contact page popped open.

"Isn't that…" Captain trailed off with a chuckle. "The one that calls all the time and that bought all the protective gear for Polniaczek's first day?"

He had met the young blonde when she came to have a "meeting" with him several years back, when Jo first joined the force and then again when Jo made detective last year.

The blonde basically wanted to know every piece of equipment to keep Jo from being hurt in the line of duty and then she threw money the department's way to make it happen not only for Jo, but for all her ' _little work buddies'_.

"Yeah, that's her." Magda confirmed. "Do we call her and worry her? I mean...Jo's...she's been…private lately...and...maybe she won't like us involving her friends and family."

"Magda, about six or seven months ago, Jo stopped taking people's calls. She started coming in late. Wearing long sleeves during some really hot months. Moving slowly when she sits. Walking with weird pauses. I uh...never told anyone this, but...my wife...I'm her second husband. I met her, and my oldest daughter, about thirty years ago when she worked as a waitress where all us beat cops used to go. She was in an abusive relationship with our daughter's biological father and because of it...I know all the signs. I'm almost sure Jo doesn't want to involve them, but...we gotta do something."

Magda let out a worried sigh as she made her way to sit back down in front of his desk, "I...I let her down Cap. I...I've been around her every day and I...I knew she wasn't the Jo I first met. What kind of a partner am I? What kind of a _friend_ am I?"

"It's not an easy subject...domestic violence. Don't beat yourself up about it. The important thing is we help her now. Okay?"

She nodded woefully.

* * *

The brunette came out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand, "Hey Blair, did you pack me any…" She trailed off when she noticed the blonde in question was nowhere to be found.

"Blair?!" She called loudly as she quickly made her way towards the hall. For some reason, not knowing the woman's whereabouts had her worried. _What if Robert found us?_

"Blair?!" Another worried yell.

"In here." She heard Blair's voice coming from what she assumed was the master bedroom.

Jo walked towards where she heard the voice and opened the door. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Blair. Her outfit was making Jo's mind wander…to very bad...yet oh so good...places.

The blonde was sitting on a chair in front of a desk like dresser, slipping on an earring. She caught Jo's gaze in the mirror and gave her a small smile, it was instantly returned.

Jo walked up behind her, green orbs trailing over Blair's form. The blonde had pinned her hair up in an updo, a style Jo had always enjoyed on her. There was just something about Blair's exposed neck that drove Jo crazy. Green eyes continued their silent appraisal as she noticed Blair's figure hugging outfit.

Her black, long sleeved, dress shirt, that accentuated her voluptuous breasts made Jo swallow thickly. The dark gray pencil skirt, with a soft satin belt that she tied in the corner, that Jo knew would allow her to catch a glimpse of Blair's ass when the woman would walk in front of her at some point today. Well, let's just say Jo was thankful for small mercies. Lastly, she noticed Blair's knee high, high heeled, black leather boots, which would allow that very same ass that Jo looked forward to catching several glimpses of today, bounce when she walked.

 _Thankful for small mercies indeed._ She thought with a shit-eating grin.

"Did you want something, Jo?" Blair smirked. The brunette had spaced out for a couple of minutes there.

Jo shook her head, a soft blush over took her cheeks when she noticed the way Blair was playfully eyeing her, "Did you uh...pack me any suits, or anything that's not just sweats?"

Now it was Blair's go round to blush as she turned in her chair, "No, I'm afraid I didn't." She smiled apologetically.

"Pfft, look who I'm asking...' _Blair, takes fifteen suitcases into the city for a one weekend stay, Warner'_...of course you wouldn't fit everything into _one_ duffle bag."

"In my defense, I was under extreme pressure. You know I've gotten better at packing light."

"Since when?" Jo chuckled as she sat herself on the corner of Dani's huge bed. Her body bounced a little at the extremely soft and cushioned mattress.

"If I had to guess, I'd have to trace it back to when I was living with three annoying roommates that did not understand the value of Blair Warner's need for closet space."

"And you're a better person for it." Jo teased.

They shared a knowing smile.

"To make up for my faux pas…" Blair turned around towards the mirror again to finish applying her makeup. "...I've brought you over one of my pant suits to wear when we go see the lawyer today." She motioned her head towards the bed. Behind Jo, there was indeed an all white pant suit.

Jo took in a shaky breath, "About that…"

Blair turned back around at the slight hesitation in Jo's voice. She tried to keep her face neutral as she waited for the brunette to finish her statement.

Jo briefly closed her eyes and shook her head, "I don't need your judgment right now."

"I didn't say anything." Blair defended.

Jo let out a frustrated breath, "You didn't have to."

Jo could tell that Blair was trying to keep her emotions in check, but failed miserably as Jo caught it...the worry, the disappointment, the confusion, "What do you want from me, Blair?"

"I want to understand, Jo. I want to...I want you to...I want Robert to pay for everything he's ever done to you. I want...I want him to suffer. I want some big guy in jail to find out that he's a woman beater and a rapi…"

"It's not like that!" Jo didn't let her finish.

"Then what's it like?" Blair bit back. "Huh?"

"He wasn't like that at first. He...he was my friend. I shared things with him that I never shared with anyone and…he...I trusted him, Blair."

Blair swallowed her jealousy and hurt. She was Jo's best friend. How could this...this loser ever have taken Jo's intimacy away from her. Their closeness. Their bond. Their trust.

"Jo, that...that may be how he was at the beginning, but...Robert's not a good guy anymore." She kept her tone even. Jo was teetering and she didn't want to exacerbate an already volatile situation.

"You have to report him. If not for you, then to protect other women from falling victim to him in the..."

"Victim? Is that what I am to you? A victim?" Jo pointed at herself, her eyes filled with pain and hurt.

"No, that's not what I meant…"

"Well, what did ya mean?"

"I...I just meant…" Blair shook her head. This was coming out all wrong. "I want you to be safe...and happy...and being with Robert isn't any of those things. Is it?"

"You don't understand." Her voice cracked.

"Then help me understand. Help me...help get why you allowed him to get away with hurting you like he has?" This whole situation was so messed up and surreal.

Jo's nostrils flared, "I didn't _allow_ him to do anything, Blair."

She menacingly pointed at the blonde, "Now call your fancy lawyer, tell him I'm not going, and drive me home...and what the hell does somebody have to do around here to borrow a goddamn phone?"

Blair breathed in deeply, "I'll cancel the lawyer. And I'll see about Mrs. Garrett giving you a ride ho..."

"SHE WON'T TAKE ME BACK TO HIM! SHE WON'T UNDERSTAND...AND YOU KNOW THAT! JUST GIVE ME A GODDAMN RIDE, BLAIR!"

Blair's eyes glossed over, "Why are you being like this?"

Jo hated to see Blair hurt or crying. Being the cause of that hurt and those tears was even worse, "Look, I...it'll be alright. I'm gonna talk to Robert. Tell him we have to break up and...everything will go back to normal. _You and I_ will go back to normal. You'll see. I promise."

Blair swallowed thickly.

"You know how I am about promises."

Blair absentmindedly nodded.

"Okay, I'm just...I'm gonna pack my stuff and we'll um...we'll leave, okay?"

Another muted nod.

"Okay." Jo breathed out. "I promise...I just need a few days to make everything right."

She gave Blair an uneasy smile as she walked toward the bedroom door to go back to the guest room to pack her things.

* * *

Thirty minutes later Jo made her way back to Dani's master bedroom in search of Blair, "I'm all packed. We can…" She trailed off when she didn't spot the blonde.

"Blair?" Jo peaked her head in the ensuite master bathroom.

Nothing.

"Blair?" She yelled a little louder as she made her way towards the hall.

She knocked on the hall bathroom's door. "Blair? Come on, we gotta get a move on. I don't even know what time it is and you haven't let me use your phone. I gotta call work."

"Blair?" Her knuckles rasped against the door once more.

"Damn it, Blair." She muttered as she angrily descended the stairs two and two. She walked towards the living room to see if Blair was sitting there, knowing the answer would be no, but perhaps there would be a note. She repeated her search minutes later in the kitchen.

She came up empty both times. She shook her head angrily, "And I still don't have a damn phone to call work."

Seeing as Blair clearly wasn't going to make this easy for her, Jo decided to explore her temporary new home. Maybe she'd find a phone.

She smiled at the pictures of Avery that were spread throughout the hall walls and the living room. She had met Avery at the Christmas dinner yesterday. She had to admit, the little girl was absolutely adorable.

She frowned at one she found with Blair and who she assumed was Dani. It seemed to be some sort of costume party, or perhaps Halloween.

Blair was beaming. That beautiful beam that Jo used to think was only reserved for her. Even when one of Blair's stupid ' _flavors of the week'_ would come pick her up for a date and the blonde would outright flirt with them, her smile was never like the ones she would give Jo. The only other person that ever made Jo feel as _insecure_ as Dani was currently making her feel in regards to her relationship with Blair, had been Cliff. Blair's college boyfriend and almost fiancé.

She shook her head at how silly she was being. Blair seemed like a big sister, or a mother to Dani in these pictures. Even the way she had expressed herself about the young woman in the last few days, it was a motherly love. She had to shake this feeling.

Jo made her way to the kitchen. She needed coffee. It helped her think and maybe it would help her get rid of the massive headache that was starting to form. She made a face when she spotted the fancy coffee maker atop the counter, "I hate these things." She mumbled as she searched for the single serve coffee cups to put in the machine.

"Awww, for crying out loud!" Another protest as she found the cups and noticed the ' _flavors_ '.

"India Chai Spice, Lemon Zinger, Orange Madarin, Dunkin Donuts, Cinnabon, Sundae Hazelwalnut, Mocha Chip…" She let out a frustrated breath.

"Coffee...I want coffee...what is so difficult about carrying regular coffee." She shook her head and angrily slammed the cabinet drawer.

"Freakin' new age kids...with their fancy coffee makers...and their smiley pictures of _my_ best friend." She muttered as she walked towards Dani's pantry cabinet. Perhaps she'd strike liquid gold in there.

Her search was cut short and she froze in place when she heard a knock at the front door. Another round of knocking and Jo's body began to shake. Her feet were glued to the ground. She wanted to move. Run. Get the hell out of there…perhaps through the backdoor. _He found me. He found me. What am I gonna do? Where's Blair? I need Blair._

"Yoo...hoo…" The person called as she knocked again.

Jo's shoulders dropped in relief, "Mrs. Garrett." She knowingly whispered. She eagerly walked towards the front door, but quickly slowed a bit because of the pain she felt with every step. The aspirins she took this morning hadn't really helped much.

Before she could unlock and turn the knob, she remembered how awful she looked, her aching body was a constant reminder.

She remembered how scary she looked in the mirror this morning and became a bit self conscious. She had finally seen her legs this morning while in the bathroom. There were welt marks all over them.

 _Face it, Jo...you're ugly. And it has nothing to do with me hitting you. Maybe if you tried to be a little less...dykey._ Robert's voice invaded her mind.

"Jo?" Mrs. Garrett called again, another loud set of knocks.

Jo took in a calming breath, straightened her hair and shirt a bit and then opened the door.

Her breaths quickened when Mrs. Garrett's eyes caught her own. She watched as the redhead's eyes danced over her face, much like Blair's had done yesterday.

Tears gathered in Jo's gemstone green orbs when she noticed Mrs. Garrett's own eyes shone with tears.

"Mrs. Garrett…" Her voice cracked and she let out a choked sob. The older woman quickly brought the young woman in for a hug.

"I'm scared." Jo whimpered in her arms. She wouldn't open up to anyone else like this, only Mrs. Garrett.

"I know. I know." She lovingly patted Jo's back. "But remember, we're here. And it's okay, Jo. It's going to be okay."

"It won't. He'll find me. I'll lose everything. Everything, Mrs. Garrett. I can't lose you guys. I can't lose...Blair."

At the small confession Edna hugged Jo tighter, "Jo, listen to me...I don't know what he has said to you, but...you are not alone. You have people that love you...and will protect you...and will fight for you...we may not be blood Jo, but we are family. You have family and whatever lies he told you...you don't have to let them scare you anymore...because we're here. You're not going to lose us. We're here. We're here." She lovingly repeated over and over again.

They stood like that for quite some time, Jo being the first to pull away. She embarrassingly turned her face and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"Where are my manners…" She opened the door wider and signaled for Mrs. Garrett to come in. "I didn't even invite you into my...temporary house." She tried to joke. "That has no coffee." She rolled her eyes.

Mrs. Garrett knowingly smiled, "I know my Jo needs her coffee in the morning." She advised as she pulled out a thermos from her purse.

Jo's face lit up, "Mrs. G...you have no idea how much I love you right now." She pecked the woman's cheek as she enthusiastically grabbed the thermos and headed towards the kitchen, Mrs. Garrett not far behind, but only after she made sure to lock the front door.

Jo poured them each a cup. No need for cream and sugar as she and Mrs. Garrett had always preferred to drink their coffee black.

"Mmmmm." Jo moaned with delight as the dark liquid coated her throat.

Mrs. Garrett let out a little laugh, "Tough time finding coffee this morning?"

Jo chuckled, her cheeks pinkened, "Yes, apparently coffee is no longer coffee." She pointed her head in the direction of the fancy coffee maker in Dani's kitchen.

"I mean, what the hell does, ' _Sundae Hazelnut'_ even taste like." She made a face.

Mrs. Garrett smiled. They continued to drink in easy going silence.

"Mrs. Garrett, have you uh...seen Blair today?" Jo tried to act nonchalant.

Mrs. Garrett gave her poignant look, "She came home this morning, changed her clothes and said she was heading down to the stables to check on Chestnut."

Jo nodded. _Of course Blair would go riding. She's stressed. She usually rides when she's stressed._

"Everything alright with you two?" Mrs. Garrett knowingly asked. Blair hadn't said much to her when she came in this morning, but she was jumpy. When Blair was scared or stressed she became jumpy. Reckless even.

Jo shrugged, "I don't know. She wants me to do all these things and I...I don't want to handle things like that. She just doesn't understand, Mrs. G."

"What things?" Mrs. Garrett asked curiously.

"Speak to her lawyer about...you know….Robert." Jo shrugged.

"Is that what you want to do?"

Another shrug, "I mean...he's a sleaze so...I should, I guess. Right?" Her eyes darted towards her coffee cup, her fingers drumming its sides, effectively avoiding Mrs. Garrett's gaze.

"Anyone on the outside looking in would think it's that easy. Won't understand why you would even second guess it...but something has got you so scared." Mrs. Garrett tenderly lifted Jo's face to meet her own.

Tears gathered in Jo's eyes, "Mrs. G., besides hitting me he...he...does other things."

Mrs. Garrett frowned, "I'm sorry, Jo."

"And he knows things. Private things. And if...if I disobey him he'll...he'll ruin my life."

"Disobey him?" Mrs. Garrett worriedly questioned. "He's not your father."

"Never mind. I knew it. You wouldn't understand. Just like my mother. Just like Blair!" Jo bitterly bit back as she got up to leave.

Mrs. Garrett grabbed her by the arms, "Hey...Jo...calm down." She was careful with her movements. She felt how Jo had stiffened at her touch.

"Let's just talk, okay? Help me understand. We only want what's best for you. You know that."

"If I don't want to press charges, you'll...you all will force me into it. I can't...I can't make him mad, Mrs. G. I just can't." Her voice broke.

"Okay, tell me why. I won't force you into anything. Let's just talk. What do you think will happen if you tell?" She eased Jo back towards the kitchen stools so she could sit once again.

The brunette was careful with her movements as she hoisted herself back up onto the tall chair. Mrs. Garrett worriedly bit her lip. She could only imagine how many marks and bruises were maring Jo's body. Her heart hurt.

"He knows secrets about me Mrs. Garrett...awful secrets." Jo hung her head in shame. The older woman lovingly grabbed her hand. Jo held on for dear life.

Mrs. Garrett knew anyone could experience abuse, but if she had to put her money on any one of her four girls, Jo would have never crossed her mind as someone who would fall victim to domestic violence. Of course, now that she thought about it, she knew that abusers...they find your weak points. They find someone's heel of Achilles and then they just continue to pick at it and break the other person down till they start believing every word out of their abuser's mouth.

Silent tears slowly fell from beautiful green orbs as she looked up to find concerned blue eyes, "Mrs. Garrett, do you remember when you first met me?"

Mrs. Garrett smiled brightly, "Of course I remember...and for a long time so did my flower bed you parked on."

Jo's cheeks pinkened and she nervously scratched at the back of her neck. Mrs. Garrett chuckled.

"What did you think of me?" Jo asked.

"I thought...I need to get some food in this little girl." Mrs. Garrett gave her a playful stare.

Jo chuckled, "I was kind of skinny, huh?"

"Oh, you were such a scrawny little thing. And you had such a baby face." She remembered. It wasn't until her second year at Eastland that Jo really shot up. She lovingly passed her hand over Jo's cheeks down to her chin.

"Do you remember what Blair and Natalie thought?" Jo's voice turned serious.

"I do." Mrs. Garrett worriedly nodded.

"They thought I was a boy." Jo looked down again. Her hands began to fidget.

Mrs. Garrett stayed quiet. She knew Jo was going somewhere with this.

"My family...on my mom's side...they used to uh...tell my mom that she needed to be careful with me." Jo let out a self deprecating laugh.

"Rose, they'd say...you shouldn't let Jo ride that motorcycle...fix those engines...play basketball with all those boys. She'll turn it out _weird..._ and God...God's not okay with weird, Rose." Jo shook her head as she remembered what her aunt and grandma would say.

"Mrs. Garrett…" She looked up again. "Do you remember my friend Gloria?"

Mrs. Garrett nodded. She had never met the girl, unfortunately. Jo had only mentioned her once to advise that they were great friends and then one day, without warning, no note, or nothing, the young girl committed suicide by throwing herself off of a building.

"You know, her mom didn't even let me go to the funeral." Jo's voice cracked.

She angrily wiped at her tears, "I knew why, but...I...just told my mom that I didn't want to go. It was too hard. And it was but...I wanted to say goodbye. I should've been able to say goodbye." A whimper escaped her.

"Jo." Mrs. Garrett squeezed her hand.

"She...she was so pretty, Mrs. G. And funny. Long, soft golden locks. Kind of like Blair. Except she was a natural blonde." Despite everything, she threw a mischievous smile Mrs. Garrett's way.

Mrs. Garrett smiled, "Sounds beautiful."

"She was. And real smart too. We would always study together. She made me a better student." A wistful smile adorned Jo's face.

"Anyway, one day...we're studying and I...I look over and she just stares at me and...leans in and her...her lips are all of a sudden on mine and…" Jo shook her head.

She worriedly caught Mrs. G's eyes, "I...I liked it Mrs. Garrett."

Mrs. Garrett simply nodded in understanding. No judgment.

"Anyways, we started ' _studying'_ more often...and in her room. Her mom walked in on us kissing one day and...Gloria pushed me away. She wouldn't talk to me after that. Not at school. No at the rec center. Wouldn't even look me in the eye. And her mom, she was pissed. She...she said I was disgusting and that I was a bad influence on Gloria...and that I was to neva' go near her daughter ever again...and that she was gonna tell my mother...cause she knew she had raised me better than that."

"Oh, Jo."

"Raised me better than that? What did that even mean? Was it so bad...me falling in love?" Jo angrily wiped at her tears.

"You know, my mother neva' hit me before, but that day...she...she gave it to me good. She said I was exploring my sexuality and that I was too young for that. That I was just confused and...horny. That I had no clue what I liked. Young women liked men, not other young women. So after that I...I gave her what she wanted." Jo shrugged.

"Eddie." Mrs. Garrett knowingly stated.

Jo nodded, "Eddie." She confirmed with wide eyes and a tight smile. "He was nice enough and he loved me and...I could learn to be happy."

"Jo, you shouldn't have to _learn_ to be happy. You just have to be who you are so happiness can follow. Freedom is beautiful, Jo. Being yourself. Being with who you choose. Being free to express those feelings and having them returned...oh, Jo...there's nothing like it."

"My mother didn't think so."

"That was a long time ago. You have to tell her how you feel. If not, you'll...you won't physically be gone, like Gloria…" Mrs. Garrett was careful with her words. "...but giving up a little piece of yourself everyday...that's a different kind of death."

"I told my mom a few months ago and she…" Jo let out a dejected laugh. "...she's avoiding me like Gloria did. I don't know what hurt more, when she spanked me at fourteen or now."

"Jo, a long time ago I told you that...you deserve to give other people the very best of you...the same goes for you. You have to give yourself the best of yourself. If you...if you hide who you are...they're not getting the real Jo. You're not getting the real Jo. I'm sorry about your mom, but...she does love you and maybe...sometimes certain people need more time than others."

"I feel like I...like I wasted telling her the truth."

"Wasted telling her?"

"What I mean is...I'm not even sure about things myself and so… I should've waited to tell her. And, I'm just not ready to...to tell other people, Mrs. G. I...I'm still so confused about certain things."

"So don't. It's your call. And I'll be here when...or if...you're ever ready. But, Jo...being in a relationship where someone doesn't respect you...that's not okay."

"He knows." Jo whispered.

"If I...If I go after him he'll...he'll out me and it...it won't be on my terms and...some people may not be so understanding." Tears slowly trailed down Jo's cheeks.

Mrs. Garrett tenderly wiped them away, "The rest of your family?"

Jo nodded, "I don't want to lose them...my mom already hates me and if I lose…" Jo trailed off, her voice breaking as her eyes downcasted once more and she began to fidget with her hands again. Sure, she was worried about her father, her aunts, her uncles, grandparents, cousins, and friends. It would hurt to have them hate her. Turn away from her. But for some reason...the one she was most worried about...and the one that would hurt the worst if she ever abandoned Jo, would be Blair.

"Jo...Jo look at me." Mrs. Garrett tenderly held Jo's face in her hands.

Green orbs caught blue. Mrs. Garrett tenderly wiped at the flood of tears escaping the young brunette, "Your mother loves you and she...she just needs time to come around. She's scared. Sometimes we're taught to be afraid and to stay in our lane...the lane society, family, and religion tells us is ' _right'_...and...anything that disturbs the status quo scares us. She is so religious and she was probably raised a certain way. Add to that that she heard it all before about how you, _didn't like boys...didn't dress as 'girly'...were too mechanical...how she needed to get a handle on you...how it was probably a phase..._ and so she...she was afraid for you and she made you afraid in the process. I'm sure she did it so you wouldn't ' _suffer'_ , but...you're older now and...you have to let her know that not being who you really are...that's...that's what's hurting you. You got me in your corner. She'll come around. She loves you and that...that's key."

Jo nodded.

"And as far as the rest of your family and your...friends…" Mrs. Garrett purposefully used the general term for Jo's friends, knowingly trying not to single out Blair, for Jo's sake. "I think you ought to start giving them a little more credit. They love you very much."

Jo nodded.

"Mrs. G?"

Edna nodded as she sat herself back down. Jo seemed to be calmer now.

"Do you have a phone I could borrow. I've tried to get one all morning."

Mrs. Garrett laughed at the exasperated look on Jo's face. She gave Jo her cell phone and eventually the keys to her car, as Jo advised she wanted to go see if she could catch Blair at the stables to talk.

* * *

As she pulled up to the graveled entrance of the stables, Jo finished her call with her Captain. She let him know she needed to use some of her personal days. Something important had come up and she would go and speak with him in-person, but for now, to please not let Robert know she had spoken with him. He seemed quite understanding and asked her to please reach out to him sooner rather than later to talk.

Jo sat in Mrs. Garrett's tiny, yellow, VW and watched as Blair powerfully rode Chestnut around the farther end of the field.

The afternoon sun was in it's beginning stages of hiding. Its soft rays, and hues of oranges and purples reflected off the scarce patches of snow that lined some of the tall spruce trees that lined the picturesque looking backdrop.

Blair's updo was gone and she wore a cowgirl hat. Her soft, cascading locks peaked from underneath it as they seemed to struggle to keep up with her speed and the wind. The sun's reflection hit her golden locks just right as they bounced just above her shoulders with every gallop. Jo smiled at just how beautiful Blair looked.

The blonde's gray skirt was long gone, as she now wore a pair of, what Jo assumed, were Jordaches.

Jo chuckled at the memory of their first meeting. The blonde had put down Jo's wardrobe and then later felt bad about it and advised Jo she could borrow her jeans. Jo gave as good as she got, insinuating that it was nice of Blair not minding if she took them in a bit, "You always did have a great ass, Princess." She tenderly whispered.

She watched as Blair slowly eased Chestnut to a stop. The blonde lovingly petted his neck and was saying something to him. Jo took the opportunity and dialed Blair from Mrs. Garrett's phone. She watched as the blonde reached into her pant pocket.

"Hi, Mrs. Garrett. I know it's getting late. I'm just finishing up here and I'll…"

"You know, I never realized how majestic you look."

Blair smiled at the voice on the other end of her phone, "Really, never...not once in our fifteen years of friendship?"

Jo smiled at the teasing tone from Blair. She watched as the blonde looked all around trying to spot her.

"Yeah, you know me. I don't get caught up in the Blair Warner hype."

"That's true. That's why we work, Polniaczek. You accept the real me."

Jo chuckled, "Well, I think the cowgirl hat helps." The blonde looked adorable with it on.

Blair spotted Jo, turned Chestnut in a half circle and tipped her hat towards the brunette.

Jo rolled her eyes, "Show off."

Blair let out the cutest giggle. Jo couldn't help but chuckle.

"Now, come on...it's cold in Mrs. G's crappy little VW. Her heater is on the fritz, so get your _wonderful_ ass over here so we can talk in your car." Jo smiled to herself at the clever way she threw in a compliment in regards to Blair's _ass-_ ets.

"Be right there." Blair hung up and galloped with Chestnut towards Jo.

Jo watched as Blair dismounted with ease and tied Chestnut to the nearest fence before she jogged her way towards Mrs. G's car. Jo enjoyed every minute of it.

Blair hopped in the small car and let out a shivered moan. She threw her hat atop the dash and rubbed her arms up and down hoping to warm herself up.

"Let's go towards your car." Jo reminded.

"It's all the way at the other entrance." Blair looked towards Jo, her hands still rubbing up and down her long sleeved covered arms.

"Damn it, Blair. Why would you park all the way over there." Jo complained. "I'm freezing my ass off."

"I'm sorry." Blair shrugged. "I needed to think."

Jo calmed herself. She knew the blonde was just as affected by the events from the last couple of days as she was.

"I'm sorry. It's just cold and...it's dangerous to walk back that way after dark." Her tone was lighter.

Blair nodded in understanding.

Jo shivered. Blair frowned at the action, remembering that she never did get Jo a coat.

"Come here." She advised as she opened her arms.

"What are you doing?" Jo chuckled.

"It is scientifically proven that for one to maintain their body heat, humans should seek warmth against each other."

"You a scientist now?" Jo threw her a self satisfied grin.

"It's only getting colder." Blair stated in a sing song voice, arms still wide open, completely undeterred.

Jo rolled her eyes, "Fine, but _I'll_ do the outside hugging."

Blair smiled as Jo stretched out her right arm inviting the blonde in. Blair easily melted into her.

With their arms wrapped tightly around each other, she hid her head deeper in the crook of Jo's neck, "I'm sorry I bailed on you today." She quietly advised.

"It's okay."

"I just can't...I can't take you back to him, Jo."

"I know. I know you can't." She wrapped her arms tighter around Blair, "And I get it. I get that you're scared."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could be braver. I wish I could...kick his a-s-s."

Jo chuckled as Blair whisperingly spelled out the word _ass,_ "You are brave. There's a broken lamp somewhere in New York City and twenty four stitches on a certain asshole's head that would all agree with me."

Blair looked up to meet Jo's gaze, they shared a loving smile.

"Wanna know something…" Jo tenderly brushed back a few wisps of blonde hair from Blair's face, "I'm scared too."

Blair gave her an understanding smile.

"You know I never ask much...and I hate being vulnerable, but...I need you to be patient with me, Blair. My head's a mess right now and I...I just need you to be patient with me."

"I will."

Jo continued to stroke Blair's hair from her face, "I might say some really dumb things to you in the near future. And I'll probably be really mean to you while I'm doing it...cause I'm still figuring things out, but I don't mean it...any of it."

"I know. And rest assured, I don't scare away so easily." Blair lovingly passed her finger over the faded bruise on Jo's cheek.

"Oh, I know. I've tried for years." Jo teased.

"Hey." Blair lightly slapped Jo's chest.

The brunette chuckled as she grabbed Blair's hand and brought it closer to her heart,"But I'm glad I didn't succeed."

Blair stared into those green orbs she loved so much, "Me too."

They shared a knowing smile as an easy silence fell over them. Blair traced lazy circles on Jo's chest and Jo absentmindedly massaged Blair's scalp. They sat there for hours.

"Chestnut looks cold." Jo whispered. It was getting late and she felt Blair's head getting heavier against her chest. The blonde was probably exhausted.

Blair begrudgingly sat up and stretched a little, "I should take him back." She had also noticed Chestnut was ansty. She'd be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was a little sad at the loss of contact with Jo. It was rare for the brunette to return her affection so intimately. Although, when they were alone she found that Jo was more open to it then when they were around Mrs. Garrett, or Nat and Tootie.

"Want me to come with? It's dark out." Jo offered. Blair would have to ride Chestnut all the way back to the stables and settle him for the night. The stables were pretty desolate due to the winter break at Eastland.

"You want me to give you a ride?" Blair raised her eyebrows, slightly surprised. Jo had never asked to ride.

"Ride you?!" Jo's eyes opened wide.

She chuckled at the brunette's frightened, yet comical response, "Chestnut, Jo... _he_ has to be ridden towards the stables."

Jo blushed, "Right."

"So?" She checked once again.

"Alright…" Jo conceded. "On three conditions…"

"Three? Okay, shoot." Blair advised.

"One is that one day...you let me give you a ride… _on my bike_."

Blair smiled, "On your bike? Okay."

Jo didn't have her motorcycle any longer, as Robert had made her get rid of it, but if Blair Warner had just agreed to ride with her...Jo would make sure to have a bike again...and soon.

"What's the other two?" Blair curiously asked about Jo's other conditions.

Jo swallowed thickly, "We go slow. You hold me tight the whole time...and... _don't_ let go."

Blair tilted her head. She had a feeling Jo no longer was talking about riding Chestnut back to the stables.

Soft brown orbs with green and gold flecks stared deeply into green ones, "I'll go as slow as you need me to, Jo...and I'll be sure to hold you tight and never let you go...no matter what."

* * *

 **DV Quote 1:** _**"Perpetrators of abuse often make their victims believe that they are somehow responsible for their own abuse. Such misplaced notions shift the blame of the abuse from the abuser to the abusee."** _

_**Mallika Nawal** _

**DV Quote 2:** _**"...a freeze response (dissociation, collapse, numbing, paralysis, deadness) during the incident that threatened your life or limb. Sometimes it's difficult for people to understand that this is really survival response…"** _

_**Babette Rothschild** _ **,** _**8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery: Take-Charge Strategies to Empower Your Healing** _


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

**Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

_**Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word** _

* * *

"Damn it!" Jo stated in frustration when the socket wrench in her hand fell with a clang to the floor.

She and Blair were in the blonde's garage. Jo had been trying to repair the heater in Mrs. Garrett's VW for almost an hour.

Jo wasn't in the best mood today. She hadn't slept well last night and to make matters worse, being in Blair's garage instead of at Dani's had her a little on edge.

_Robert could show up at any minute._

_Yeah, but...I can't let Mrs. G. keep driving without any heat._

She pulled back her right hand from the engine and soothingly rubbed her wrist.

"Let me help." Blair stated in almost a whisper. Jo hadn't been the most welcoming with her today. She knew the brunette hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Blair felt her tossing and turning all night, until eventually Jo woke up screaming and drenched in sweat.

"No, Blair! You aren't exactly Mr. Goodwrench." The brunette snipped. "Geez." Jo muttered under her breath. Blair was working her last nerve.

"I know I'm not the most handy, but I could help you tighten what you…"

"Damn it, Blair! No! Quit it."

Blair decided it was best to keep quiet.

Jo picked up the dropped wrench and attempted to once again unscrew the rounded bolt. The wrench fell almost immediately and Jo let out another frustrated breath. "I...I hate this." She angrily motioned to her wrist.

"It's going to take some time to heal and…"

"You know, I'm a little tired of your glass half full bullshit today...and that's saying a lot since it's only nine a.m."

"I'm just trying to…"

"Damn it, Blair! Know when to shut up!" Jo eyes drilled into the blonde's.

Blair stood shocked at the aggressive tone.

"Just go inside." Jo ordered as she turned back to work on the car.

She huffed in annoyance as minutes later she still felt the blonde's presence. Her eyes lifted slightly to catch Blair's sight, "Go. In. Side." She repeated with flared nostrils.

Blair swallowed thickly at the look Jo was giving her. This was not her Jo.

Jo watched as a visibly frightened Blair nodded meekly and headed inside.

_A dyke and a bitch, that's all you'll ever be. Even your mom thinks you're a bully, right?_ Robert's voice mocked her.

A shaky breath followed as Jo defeatedly rested her forehead against the open hood of Mrs Garrett's car. She didn't mean to yell at Blair.

* * *

"Hey, how goes it Miss Fix-it?" Mrs. Garrett smiled at Blair when the blonde walked in from the garage.

"Uh, good." Blair nodded distractedly. Mrs. Garrett furrowed her eyebrows at the action.

"I'm not much help so I've been exiled indoors." Blair threw a small smile the older woman's way.

Mrs. Garrett chuckled, but knew something was bothering the blonde. Blair's smile seemed troubled.

"I'm just going to be in my room. I have some um...work to do on my computer." Blair didn't wait on an answer from Mrs. Garrett as she quickly exited the kitchen.

Mrs. Garrett's eyes worriedly followed the retreating blonde.

* * *

Magda pulled up to the two story house, she double checked the number above the garage door against the one in her phone's GPS. "This is it." She whispered to herself as she cut the engine and made her way towards the front door.

She rang the bell and smiled when moments later, an older, red-headed woman, who she had come to know as Mrs. Garrett, answered the door.

The red-head had an apron on and was drying her hands against it when she answered the door.

"Jo's partner. Magda?" She asked slightly unsure. She remembered the young woman's name started with an 'M', it had just been so long since she and Jo had talked about work, or much at all, prior to these last few days.

"Right." Magda smiled.

"How great to see you again." She smiled and stuck out her hand for the detective to take.

"Same." Magda acknowledged with a return handshake.

"I feel like I already sort of know you." She continued as Mrs. Garrett invited her in.

She shrugged off some of her layers, "Jo was always talking about you."

"All good things I hope." Mrs. Garrett chuckled as she took Magda's jacket and gloves to put them up for her.

"Thanks. And yes, all good things." Magda stated.

Mrs. Garrett nodded as she walked the detective's belongings towards the coat closet, "I saw you a couple of times too, from afar, when I'd drop by to take Jo to lunch."

"Yeah. I always wanted to be a third wheel, but Jo's pretty selfish with you...so she'd leave me alone and hungry." Magda teased.

Mrs. Garrett chuckled, "I think sometimes I drive her crazy...it's good to know it's all in my head. Next time though, I'll bring you back a little something."

They shared a knowing smile.

"Sit. Sit." Mrs. Garrett motioned towards the couches.

Magda quickly sat down and Mrs. Garrett positioned herself right across from her.

"What brings you by?"

"Uh, I actually thought this was Blair's house…" Magda looked around. It didn't seem like Mrs. Garrett had a hand in decorating. Furniture was modern, sleek. It screamed Blair Warner. She imagined Mrs. Garrett would have more of a homely, grandmother theme going on. Although, ' _Maybe Blair decorated for Mrs. Garrett?'_ She knew through Jo how close they all were. And there were a lot of pictures of all four of the women with Mrs. Garrett around.

"Oh, so you didn't come see this lonely, old lady."

Magda's eyes opened wide as she focused them back on Mrs. Garrett, "No, Mrs. Garrett. That's not it at all. What I... I...just…"

Mrs Garrett chuckled, "I'm joking. I have a feeling I know why you're here...and I'll get you who you came looking for."

Magda smiled in relief. Mrs. Garrett lovingly tapped her thigh as she got up to fetch Jo. She knew Magda had come for Blair, but she also knew it was probably due to everything going on with Jo.

"Mrs. Garrett?" Magda questioned the older woman as she headed towards the kitchen.

Mrs. Garrett turned around with raised eyebrows.

"For what it's worth...Jo really does always have nice things to say about you and if...if you and I could visit one day...I'd really like that."

Mrs. Garrett nodded knowingly as she headed through the kitchen towards the garage.

* * *

Jo looked up when she heard the garage's side door open up.

"Mrs. G, I didn't mean to yell at her. She's just so... _Blair_ sometimes...and…"

"You yelled at Blair?"

Jo gave her a ' _like you didn't know'_ look.

"Alright, fine. I know you yelled at Blair. But...not because she told...but because I know you girls like the back of my hand. There's no way you two can be in a twenty foot by twenty foot space without you yelling at Blair at least once." She giggled.

Jo lightly slapped the screwdriver in her right hand against her uninjured one, "I don't want to yell at her. I don't want to be that person." She sadly smiled.

Mrs. Garrett returned it, "I know you've always traded insults and barbs, but...I think with everything going on...you're on edge and...you're not yourself."

"There's no excuse for it." Jo's shoulders sagged.

"And you are aware that you shouldn't have yelled, because something _is_ going on with you...inside...your thoughts, your emotions. So...maybe talking to somebody about…"

"Like a shrink? No way, Mrs. Garrett. People from my neighborhood don't go to shrinks. We just...get over it and move on."

Mrs. Garrett shook her head, "You have gone through a very real and traumatic experience the last couple of months. Things you hear, things you see, certain smells, certain places, certain phrases, anything can be a trigger...and will be a trigger...which can cause several reactions, including...snapping at someone when you don't want to. There's no shame in getting help for this, Jo."

"Mrs. G,...I…" Jo shook her head as she avoided Mrs. Garrett's gaze. Her nervous habit of fidgeting causing the tool in her hand to twist and turn at her own doing.

"Jo…" Mrs. Garrett placed her hand over the screwdriver, effectively stopping it and Jo's movements. The brunette looked up with tears in her eyes.

Mrs. Garrett gave her a tender smile, "That kind of thinking is what has you and your mom not speaking right now. Don't get stuck on societal roles because everyone that came before you has done it that way. You're in law enforcement. You used to work at a community center. You _saw_ and _see_ first hand how wonderful it can be for someone to get the help they need and...start living life. Really living life."

Jo nodded, "I'll uh...I'll think about it."

Mrs. Garrett gave her a tender smile.

"I should...probably apologize to Blair, huh?"

"That'd be nice, but first...you have company."

Jo's eyes went wide.

Mrs. Garrett saw the instant panic and fear in them, "It's...it's Magda." She soothingly stated.

Jo let out a shaky breath, "Oh." She swallowed thickly, "How did...um...she know I was here?"

"Well, I am not sure she does. I think she's worried about you and she came to see Blair."

Jo furrowed her eyebrows, "Blair? Boy, those two are _really_ friendly all a sudden."

Mrs. Garrett pursed her lips. Jo seemed jealous. She motioned her head towards the garage door. Jo huffed in annoyance, but followed the woman in.

"Magda?" Blair called from the staircase, slightly surprised.

Magda stood up, "Hey, Blair."

"What are you…" Blair descended the stairs while looking around for Jo or Mrs. Garrett. "What are you doing here?" She finally asked once she made it to the bottom step.

"I uh...came to see you."

"Oh." Blair flirtatiously smiled and placed her hand over her heart.

Magda held back a smirk. Blair was amusing. _To be a fly on the wall of Blair and Jo's friendship all these years._

"I was actually wondering if you've seen Jo?"

Blair's eyes opened wide.

"Can't uh…" She looked around the living room and towards the kitchen once more, "...say that I have." She turned her attention back to the detective. "Why do you ask?" She cleared her throat.

"Hey Magda." Jo's soft voice called as she stepped into the living room, Mrs. Garrett next to her.

Magda questioningly raised an eyebrow towards Blair.

"Look! It's Jo!" Blair stated as she rushed over to Mrs. Garrett. "Mrs. Garrett, look...it's Jo."

Mrs. Garrett looked at Blair as if she had two heads, "Of course it's Jo, she's been here all…"

"Now...now, Mrs. Garrett. Let's leave these two detectives to talk." She led the older woman by the shoulders towards the stairs.

"I don't know what the penalty is for aiding and abetting." She whispered conspiratorially to Mrs. Garrett.

"For God's sakes Blair, you're a lawyer...and I'm not a criminal. _We're_ not criminals." Jo rolled her eyes.

Blair shot daggers at Jo as she and Mrs. Garrett walked up the stairs and towards her room. She _had_ hit Robert upside the head and left him pretty bad off. Maybe he had figured them out? Maybe Magda was here on business?

Magda chuckled, "And you're _really_ best friends?"

Jo shook her head, "I'm rethinking our whole relationship right about now." A ghost of a smirk adorned her face.

Magda smiled to herself at the statement. She really was intrigued by they unlikely duo.

Jo made her way to sit on the couch, "What are you smiling about?"

The curly haired detective joined Jo as she plopped down next to her, "Nothing, just happy to see ya. I missed you, Polniaczek." Jo giggled as Madga purposefully cuddled close.

"Missed you too." The brunette responded as she playfully pushed Magda off of her.

"Oh, I could really tell. I'll bet you don't shoo Blair away."

Jo shook her head, "You're quite wrong. I shoo her away all the time. I'm not into PDAs."

Magda smiled, "Then I don't feel so hurt."

Jo chuckled. Magda leaned over and now the side of her and Jo's heads were touching.

Jo took in a disquieted breath, "Did um...you see Robert?"

Jo felt Magda nod.

The older detective reached out for Jo's injured hand, "I'm sorry." She advised as she traced the black and blue outlines.

"Not your fault."

Magda turned to meet Jo's gaze. The brunette's eyes shone with unshed tears, "I shouldn't have let you go home to him."

Jo swallowed thickly, "You didn't know."

"I suspected...for months and...I...I didn't do anything. I'm sorry."

"I really didn't give you much choice. I'm a private person and all this…" Jo held back a whimper.

Magda hugged her close, "I know you're a private person, but you're my partner...my _friend..._ and you were in trouble. I won't ever...it won't happen again. Not on my watch."

Jo gave her a tearful smile, "Thanks."

"And I know this is scary...and I don't have the right words to say...but, there are a lot of people that love you, Polniaczek...especially those two ladies that just went upstairs. And we're here. All of us. We have you."

Jo nodded.

"So now what?" Magda asked.

"Um…" Jo let out a worried breath. "That's the million dollar question. Blair wants me to talk to a lawyer. Get a restraining order. Have Robert arrested. Kill him with her bare hands."

Magda smiled at Jo's last statement.

"I uh…" Jo continued. "...also have to get back into my apartment. Talk to Cap...hope he doesn't blow a gasket when he finds out I haven't had access to my gun in a few days."

"Jo?"

"I know. I know." The brunette stood up and started pacing. "If he shot my gun I'm in deep shit…I...damn it." Jo shook her head annoyed.

_How could I be so careless?_

"Hey, Robert is not that stupid to shoot your gun."

"To spite me? Get me in trouble? You don't know him, Magd'. Even if it's at a tin can in the middle of the woods… he'd do it to screw me over. For God's sake, how could I be so stupid?"

Magda had a feeling Jo was no longer just talking about the missing gun. She was probably questioning her whole relationship with Robert.

Jo sat back down. She didn't want to think about the consequences. Her job was already on the line, she didn't need to add to her worries.

"Look, Robert...he…he's not thinking straight. I think, despite everything, he...in his own sick way...he cares about you and...I don't think he'd jeopardize your job. I think...I think he just wants you back. He thinks you'll be back in a few days and so...he's laying low."

Jo let out a bitter laugh, "Cares about me? He's delusional and a...he's a...a sadist." She shamefully whispered the last part. She didn't look up because she knew what she'd find, Magda giving her a pitied look. Jo Polniaczek did not need people's pity.

"If it's any consolation, he looked like shit last I saw him. Pale, with a big ol' knot in the back of his head. Caked blood in-between stitches."

Jo chuckled.

"You got 'em good." Magda approvingly smiled her way.

"That was Blair."

"Miss Priss? Scared of aiding and abetting? Blondie?"

Jo nodded proudly.

"Well alright Blair!"

They shared a knowing smile.

"Listen, uh...Cap is...circling the neighborhood." Magda worriedly bit her lip as she gave Jo an apologetic look.

"Great. I can get in trouble sooner rather than later."

Magda chuckled at the scared look on the brunette, "It's not like that. He was worried. He said he'd circle around till...and _only_ if...I let him know you were up for talking with him."

Jo took in a calming breath, "Let's get this over with."

Magda smiled and dialed their Captain. A few minutes later he was in the living room with Jo and Magda.

"How are you?" The Captain asked, his voice full of concern as he tapped the couch cushion next to Jo's leg.

"I've been better." Jo shrugged. She watched as yet another person slowly took in her bumps and bruises.

"But I've been worse." She admitted, thinking on how being safe with Blair and Mrs. Garrett was the best thing to happen to her in a very long time.

Captain nodded.

"Cap I…" She let out another shaky breath. Her knees bounced nervously as she shot a worried glance towards Magda. The older detective nodded her head encouragingly.

Jo looked back towards Captain Williams, "Here's the thing...I uh...I screwed up, Cap. My gun's been out of my possession for about two days...badge too."

"Jo, I'll help you as much as I can, but don't bullshit me. I need to know everything...and now."

Jo took in a worried breath, "Robert's been...abusing me...for months. I don't have access to my cell phone, credit cards, personal papers, ID..." Another worried breath, "He'd lock away my belongings, including...my gun and badge…" She shook her head angrily, "In my own goddamn safe...he...he changed the code to my own goddamn safe so I wouldn't have access. I..." She was spent.

"Two days, you say?" Captain Williams double checked the timeframe Jo hadn't had her gun.

"Christmas night, yesterday and today."

Captain nodded, "I need you to get to your apartment. What needs to get done for you to do that?"

"Robert has to be gone. I can't…um...I can't go while he's there. He'll..." Jo scaredly shook her head. "I can't." She looked towards Magda for support. The older woman came and sat next to her friend and held her hand.

"Okay. Okay." The Captain quickly assured her. "I can have him picked up if we fill out a report and you request a restraining order. I'll have a judge sign off immedia…"

"No! He'll make bail and then he'll be out here looking for me. He'll find me. He'll know I'm at Blair's. I'll have to say she was the one that hit him over the head, won't I? I can't...I won't do that to her. She was only trying to help. I can't. I can't." Jo panically yelled. Magda tried to calm her by rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Jo, you just need a couple of hours in that apartment. I need you to get that gun back as discreetly as possible. We'll file the report and get you and Blair a restraining order. I can have some of the guys on security detail with you and…"

"No! I don't want everyone finding out! Besides, they're his colleagues. His work buddies. They'll…they'll defend him. He's probably already poisoned them against me. He's told me so!"

"Jo?" Magda tried to interject.

"I don't want it!" Jo yelled at both of them as she got up, shoving Magda's hands off of her. "I mean…" She chuckled incredulously, "What do Blair and I do when he shows up here? Throw a little piece of paper at him and tell him to stay away?"

"Okay. I understand." Captain's voice was soft. He could see how scared she was. Nothing like the Jo that had first joined the academy. He only prayed that with time Jo would heal from her physical and emotional wounds.

"Do you...uh, think maybe hiring private security? Is that something you can swing?" He asked.

"Without my credit cards? That are in my safe? At home?" She rolled her eyes. "No."

She had made her way to the other side of the coffee table, arms crossed in defence mode, ready to strike at any minute.

"Okay." He answered.

Magda was grateful for their Captain's calm demeanor.

"I can call around and see…"

"Cap, no! That will solve what? One day? Two? This thing can go on for months. Robert...he'll walk away Scot-Free and he'll...he'll eventually get me!"

Captain took in a breath, "I know this is scary…"

"Do ya?" Jo nodded, it was condescending.

"And I know that nothing I say will make it any less scary, but...he...he has to know he has no power over you, Jo."

"And if he kills me? Or my family or friends, or both? How is _you_ …" _knowing"..._ this is scary…" She used mock air quotes. "...going to help me?" She angrily shook her head. It just hit her what it meant for her to run away with Blair. She'd put the woman's life in danger.

"I've documented your bruises every time I'd see you." He whispered, wary of Jo's reaction.

"What?" The brunette angrily whispered.

"Whenever you'd come in with your wrist wrapped, or bandaged, or there was a bruise or a red cheek, limping, trouble with sitting, or...long sleeves in July...I documented it." His eyes cautiously met angry green ones.

"So, your little notes supposed to keep me from getting killed?"

"No." He answered honestly. "But it helps with sentencing. I saw it once in a case I worked. The woman's co-worker had written everything down. The guy got like fifteen years."

Jo shook her head as she dejectedly plopped down into the recliner near Blair's fireplace. She clasped her hands together in between her knees, as her arms shook from the nervous bouncing her legs were doing. She sat like that for several minutes. No one said a word.

Jo tiredly ran her hands over her face and then nodded to herself as she worriedly bit her lip. Magda and Captain Williams quietly looked on.

She finally turned to them, "I have to um...I can probably get security detail from Blair."

The Captain nodded.

"And um...I have to figure out how to get into my house, then my safe and…um...figure out if the gun's been shot."

"I can get someone to run a discrete ballistic test on the gun." Captain assured.

Jo nodded.

They were all silent again as Jo closed fist tapped the recliner's side.

"I didn't mean to yell." She whispered after several minutes as she avoided their gaze.

"We know." Captain Williams spoke softly.

Jo nodded. Another quiet pause.

She was staring straight ahead at a picture of her and Blair that sat atop a hutch the blonde kept in her informal dining area. Their college graduation picture. She loved that picture. Tootie had shot it. It was a candid. They both looked so happy as they hugged each other. One of those rare occasions when Jo didn't pretend to hate Blair's hugs.

"I'm...I'm scared…" She admitted.

"We know." He answered again.

Another nod from the brunette. Eyes still focused on the picture. _If I could only turn back time._

"But that...asshole…" Her voice cracked. "...has to pay for what he's done to me."

The Captain and Magda's faces held sad smiles.

"We'll make sure of it. All of us...we'll make sure of it." Magda voiced with conviction.

* * *

Security detail had not been an issue. Blair simply called up her father and advised she needed some of his best men. Mr. Warner wondered what type of danger his daughter was in that she needed security. Then he had asked why she didn't have her best friend, Jo, the detective, do it. The young woman was an excellent cop and a pretty good fighter if he recalled. He'd been in town during one of Jo's training sessions that Blair had dragged him to.

Blair had advised that the security was for Jo. She tried to keep the details to a minimum as it was Jo's private business. Mr. Warner was concerned for his daughter's best friend and did not hesitate to send over five of his best security guards to have twenty four hour protection on Blair and Jo. He knew how important Jo was to Blair and the brunette had always proven to be a loyal and good friend to his princess.

The women were riding in Blair's SUV, while security followed in separate town cars.

"I feel like the damn president." Jo muttered as she adjusted the rearview mirror in Blair's car. She was the one driving.

They had left Blair's lawyer's office a few hours ago. They had supplied him with the report the Captain had filled out for Jo, as well as Magda's documented account of Robert's abuse, and Jo and Blair's statements. They also gave him copies of the restraining orders the Captain had Jo and Blair take out against Robert.

Blair's lawyer advised that domestic violence cases weren't difficult to try and Robert would get jail time, but that the sentences were usually very low. They usually stemmed from only eight months to two years, with the abusers getting time off for good behavior with only about half their time served. He did advise that he would go hard against Robert and make sure he couldn't work in law enforcement ever again. Captain's documented accounts of her injuries, as well as Jo's family and friends providing character accounts for the brunette, would go a long way.

He also suggested that Blair and Jo find a local hardware store and buy new locks for Blair's house and Jo's apartment.

_Do not leave the key with others. Only yourselves._ Jo's mind was swirling with everything that had been happening the last few days. It was all moving too quickly, and yet, not quickly enough.

Next, he told them to head to an electronics store and buy security cameras for their homes. And if they could somehow get an alarm company out by this week, that would also be best. Blair sprang into action. Cameras and locks were purchased and in the backseat of her car, and the alarm company would be installing their systems first thing Monday morning of next week.

Jo hadn't made it easy on her, complaining about Blair spending her own money to pay for her ' _mistakes'_. That she'd pay Blair back, including for the security detail. Blair stayed quiet. She didn't have time to argue with Jo today. They had a lot to get done to keep the brunette safe.

They pulled up to Jo's place. She turned off the engine, but didn't move. Blair sat quietly, out of the corner of her eye she discreetly watched the brunette process.

"You have a key, right?" Jo whispered.

Blair nodded and pointed to the keyring it was currently held on.

Jo let out a shaky breath as she nodded a few times, moreso to convince herself that she could do this. She could go into her apartment.

_Robert's gone._

_He was picked up a little while ago._

_Captain texted Blair to confirm he was in custody._

_He'll stall so Robert won't get out._

_I am safe._

_We are safe._

_Everything will work out._

_You are not this weak Polniaczek._

_You are a detective for the New York City Police Department._

_You've taken down dangerous drug dealers and murderers._

_Robert is a punk!_

_A punk that can kill you. You stupid, dyke._

_Oh Jo, silly, silly Jo...I'll make sure to hit you where it hurts._

_I saw Blair today, she was out there, all alone, riding her horse. Shame for her to have an accident out there...no one would hear her scream. Of course, I'd have fun with her beforehand. I gotta admit Jo, you do have good taste in women._

Blair watched as Jo's hands tightened around her steering wheel. Knuckles white against her bruised and cut skin. A whimper escaped the brunette.

"Jo?" Blair worriedly placed her hand on Jo's arm.

"Don't!" Jo jumped back, her whole body hit the driver's side door and window.

Blair's eyes went wide, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

Jo nodded, "It's fine."

"I really didn't mean to…" The blonde began, but was cut off.

"Ready?" Jo asked as if nothing.

The blonde only nodded. They made their way out of the car. Jo grabbed all their new equipment and they jogged up the steps to the main entrance of her brownstone.

* * *

As they entered, Jo plugged her nose, "It stinks in here."

_Had Robert not taken out the garbage or something?_

"Let's open up some windows." Blair advised as she walked in front of Jo towards the living room and began to pull aside the drapes and snap open the cold glass panes.

Despite all that was happening, Jo took in the blonde's body as Blair arched over the couch cushions to be able to reach the windows. The blonde had worn an all black pant suit to go meet the lawyer...and it was hugging all the right places.

"There. That oughta do it." Blair climbed off the couch, dusted her hands a few times, then placed them on her hips.

"Jo?" She questioned with raised eyebrows. The brunette had a goofy glint in her eyes.

"Huh?" Jo's eyes opened wide towards Blair as a sign she was paying attention.

"I said, what's next?" _What's going on with her today._

"Right. Ummm...locks are easy. I can do that last. Maybe we can have one of the security guys set up the cameras and we work on getting the safe open?"

Blair nodded, called for one of the security guards and left him to work on setting up the cameras while she and Jo headed towards the brunette's room.

* * *

The blonde watched as Jo's eyes achingly took in the state of her bedroom. The bed was not made. The same rolled up sheets from that fateful night were on the bed. Smears of blood throughout.

One huge puddle of blood lay near the headboard, to the far right hand side of the bed. Blair knew it had come from the head wound she had inflicted on Robert. Another gruesome reminder of that night. The shards from the broken lamp, and what remained of the lamp, had all been brushed off to the wooden floor.

"Did he sleep on the blood?" Jo's voice cracked.

Blair's head snapped towards Jo. The brunette's whole body was trembling.

"What kind of a...demented…" Jo shook her head. "Why would he sleep on the blood? He's been here for a few days. Why...would…why would he sleep on the blood?"

"Hey, let's uh...you work on the safe and I'll umm...clean this up." Blair frantically pulled at the sheets.

"Bag it." Jo advised when she saw Blair looking for a trash can. Her voice was detached.

Blair looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"Evidence. My blood..his blood...our ummm...bodily fluids...bag it."

Blair nodded knowingly and headed to Jo's kitchen for some plastic storage bags. Her mind reeled. The whole time at the lawyer's and during Jo's statement to her Captain, Jo had avoided mentioning the attempted rape from that night.

As Blair continued to clean up the bedroom, she could hear Jo huff and puff inside her walk-in closet.

"Haven't been able to open it yet?" The blonde asked from the doorway.

"No Blair. I opened it and I'm bitching and moaning about it because of my good fortune." She snapped as she angrily looked up towards Blair.

Her attitude softened when she noticed a quiet Blair gently leaning her head against the closet door. A few soft wisps of hair had escaped her updo, her exposed chest, neck and face were all slightly red from exertion while cleaning up Jo's room and...she looked absolutely beautiful.

"I'm sorry. I've been kind of…"

"Mean? Bratty? Rude? Impossible?" Blair playfully scrunched her nose.

Jo chuckled, "I was going to say on edge."

"But all of mine work too." Blair smirked.

They shared a giggle.

"Yeah." Jo took in a deep breath then let it out. "That they do." She looked back at the safe. She was clearly at her wit's end trying to get it opened.

Blair came and sat next to her on the floor. They each sat with their legs criss-crossed, Blair's left knee touching Jo's right. Jo swallowed thickly at the contact. She and Blair hadn't been ' _intimate'_ all morning. She knew it was mostly her fault for pushing the blonde away, but God was it good to have Blair so close. She was thankful for the contact and that the blonde had opted to wear pants today instead of her usual go to of a skirt or dress.

_If not she would have sat with her legs tucked underneath, or perhaps not at all._

The blonde's expense perfume invaded Jo's senses. Jo closed her eyes briefly. She wondered how Blair did that? Wear just the perfect amount of perfume. It was always soft, subtle, but ever present.

Her green orbs opened again and she allowed them to rove over Blair's body. They landed briefly on the blonde's exposed cleavage.

_Robert would kill me if he knew Blair was here._

"So, what do we do? Place our ear up to it like this and try to hear the click of the combination?" Blair asked, totally oblivious to Jo's intense staring and the thoughts going on in her head.

The blonde placed her ear up to the door's mechanism and started punching in random numbers to see if she could 'hear' anything.

Jo chuckled, "Alright Columbo...you've been watching too many mobster movies."

Blair sat up with a pout.

"It's electronic. I have to just guess the code...or find someone to illegally hack it. I tried calling the alarm company to see if they could give me some default code...but they thought I was trying to break into the safe. Then asked me for the ownership papers."

"Okay, where are those?" Blair looked around as if they would pop up somewhere. She quickly realized and turned to Jo with a smile, the brunette playfully wiggled her eyebrows.

"In the safe." They said in unison with a chuckle.

"I'm glad this is amusing." Jo complained, but her tone was light.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's not. It's just…" Blair regarded her.

Deep pools of green caught soft brown eyes. Blair's finger reached out and gently traced Jo's lips. "I love to hear you laugh." She whispered.

Jo's cheeks turned pink and her eyes shyly avoided Blair's gaze. Blair smiled to herself at the cute reaction.

"Okay." She playfully slapped Jo's thigh. "I have a solution for our safe problem...and I know you're not going to like it...and quite frankly, me not so much either, but…"

"If it can open my safe and get out my gun...I am all for it." Jo enthused.

"It involves Dani." Blair worriedly bit her lip.

"No." Jo shook her head. "Nope."

Blair gave her best puppy dog eyes, batted her eyelashes, and pouted.

"Blair?" Jo's tone held exasperation.

The blonde remained undeterred.

"Really?"

"You said anything." Blair reminded in a sing-song voice.

Jo let out a frustrated breath, "Alright. Fine."

Blair squealed with delight as she brought Jo in for a hug.

"Alright already." Jo peeled Blair off of her. She had to keep up appearances. Although, her hand may have slipped a little south while ' _pushing Blair away'_.

"Why do you hate her anyway?" Blair asked as she was already dialing Dani.

"I don't hate her. I just don't...like her." She shrugged.

Blair smirked while shaking her head at Jo, "Same thing, Polniaczek."

* * *

_**Thirty Minutes Later...** _

"Snoots?" Dani called as she walked into where Blair told her to meet her at.

"In here!" The young woman heard Blair call out.

"Come on." Dani pulled Angel inside.

"Are you sure she wants me here? 'Cause, Miss Warner kinda hates my guts." The young man accompanying Dani worriedly advised.

Dani rolled her eyes, "She does not hate you. Besides, I told you...she asked for you personally."

Angel snickered, "Yeah, right. I can hear her now, ' _Dani, please bring your little gang banger, hoodlum, boyfriend'_." He said in his best snooty, high pitched sounding, 'Blair'esk' voice.

Dani chuckled, because the impression was spot on, "We are not boyfriend and girlfriend." She reminded.

"And whose fault is that?" Angel asked as they walked through the apartment.

"Miss Warner's." They teased at the same time, answering Angel's question about why he and Dani were not a couple.

As they continued their path, Angel's eyes darted around. His days of being a street kid taught him to take in his surroundings. He did not like what he was seeing in this apartment. It was a little too familiar for his liking. Like when his former stepfather used to hit his mother, him and his siblings.

"There you are." Blair brightly answered when the two young visitors made it to Jo's bedroom.

Dani walked up to Blair and gave her a hug and a kiss.

Jo stood in the corner, her arms crossed at the display of affection between the women.

"Miss Warner." Angel politely greeted with a head nod.

Blair smiled his way, "Hi Angel. Thanks for coming."

"Sure thing." He whispered. Jo watched as he seemed shy all of a sudden. Blair's presence seemed to intimidate him.

"Uh, Dani...Angel...this is my friend Jo." She motioned to the brunette in the corner. Jo made her way forward and gave them each a firm handshake.

Dani shook out her hand afterward.

Blair smirked. For someone who had an injured wrist, it didn't seem to bother Jo just now.

"Uh, somebody need me to open a safe?" Angel asked as he worriedly rubbed his hands together.

Jo nodded, "Yeah. Right in here." She motioned with an open arm towards the closet and allowed Angel to walk in front of her.

"She does exist." Dani whispered in Blair's ear. Blair turned her head and playfully squinted her eyes at the young woman.

"She's pretty too." Dani teasingly bit her lip and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Why would I notice that?" Blair nervously mumbled.

"I didn't say you would. It was merely an observation on _my_ part. Ease up, Snoots. Someone might think you had something to hide." She raised her eyebrows.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" Despite her words, the blonde's tone was soft and full of love.

"Several times." Dani stated.

They shared a knowing smile as Blair threw a wink her way.

"Come on, help me clean." She looped the girl's arm around her own and led her out towards the living room.

* * *

_**In the closet…** _

"So, how do you know about this stuff?" Jo asked as she watched the nineteen year old, who she learned was Dani's childhood friend, expertly work her laptop to try to hack into the safe.

"Want me to lie to you or tell you the truth?" He asked, his eyes focused on the screen before him. His deft fingers punching in numbers and letters at a lively speed.

Jo chuckled, "The truth...I'd hope...as we've established a pretty quick rapport, no?"

Angel smiled at the woman's reaction. She was right. They had only known each other for a little over thirty minutes, but he liked her vibe. He considered himself to be a good judge of character.

"I've always been good with my hands. And in school, when I was younger, I was pretty...techie?" He looked at her and Jo could tell he was pondering his use of the last word.

"Nerdy." Jo teased.

Angel watched as a shit-eating grin appeared on Jo's face.

"Alright...nerdy." He agreed with a nod as he looked back at the computer.

"But, _nerdy_ …" He continued. "...didn't pay the bills and my stepdad wasn't the supportive type. So, at twelve I had to earn money and fast. By that time, my job at Dani's dad's garage was no more as he had already passed away and so...I got caught up in a gang and...they helped me hone my skills on the computer by buying the best gadgets and paying me when I was successful. I could change info in banks, break into alarm systems, change warrants and parking tickets, figure out gambling combinations...stuff like that." He shrugged.

Jo watched Angel carefully. She could tell he wasn't proud of what he was telling her.

"And you've known Dani since she was seven?"

"No, I was seven...she was nine."

"Ah, an older woman. Nice." Jo playfully patted his back.

He chuckled, "It's not like that. "

"Besides, Miss Warner would never go for it."

"Blair?" Jo questioned.

Angel nodded, his concentration still on the task at hand.

"Why would Blair care if you and Dani go out?"

Angel looked up, "She hates me." He chuckled.

"Yeah, I got that. Care to elaborate." She motioned her hand in a semi circle for him to continue.

He sighed, "Let's just say she has good reason and leave it at that." He turned his gaze from Jo.

Jo frowned at the response. She knew potential when she saw it. This kid had it. Whenever she thought of where she grew up and how far she had come... _minus these last months with Robert..._ she felt compelled to help others also find opportunities, such as the ones that had been afforded to her. She made it out of her neighborhood. She was one of the lucky ones. And she could see that Dani seemed to like Angel as much as he did her.

"You still in the gang?" She whispered her question.

Angel simply shook his head. Eyes never once leaving the computer's screen.

"How'd you get out?"

"Same way I got in." Was the young man's quiet response.

Jo nodded. There were only three ways out of a gang. Get shot and survive. Get badly beaten and survive. Or in a body bag.

"Voila." He smiled up at her proudly as the door to Jo's safe opened.

"Angel, you did it!" She lovingly pinched his cheek.

He just chuckled at the sign of affection from the brunette. He realized it was rare for someone to show him any. His own mother was never really very loving. Dani was the only one that would really ever dote on him.

"Thank, God!" Jo breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the items in the safe seemed to be in the same place she had left them. She brought her gun and her badge up to her chest and then placed chaste kisses on them.

Angel's eyes went wide as he frantically stood up, "Holy shit." He worriedly ran his fingers through his hair.

Jo looked up with furrowed eyebrows, "Angel?"

He nervously pointed to the gun and the badge, "This is a cop's safe. A fuckin' cop's safe. I can't believe this...oh man…" His panic rose.

"Angel..." Jo reached out for him, but he pulled away. "Angel…"

"I knew it. I knew Miss Warner didn't like me. This was a set up. Damn it."

"Angel…" Jo stated a little firmer. His eyes caught her's.

She openly handedly patted her chest, "I'm the cop."

He was breathing heavily, "You're...you're the cop?"

"I'm the cop. Okay. This is my safe and...I'm…" She held up the badge. "Detective Joanna M. Polniaczek." She displayed her ID's picture.

"I'm not in trouble?" He asked, still a little wary.

"No. I…" Jo licked her lips. "My boyfriend is not a nice guy and...he locked me out of my safe. I can get in a lot of trouble if my work gun goes missing. So you helped me. Immensely."

Angel nodded. He all of a sudden felt a certain respect for Detective Polniaczek. She was a brave woman. He could tell.

"Blair?" Jo called so the blonde would come back into the room. Angel stepped out of the closet so he wouldn't be in Miss Warner's way when she came in here.

"Yeah?" Blair peeked her head into the closet.

Jo triumphantly shook the gun and the badge.

"You got it out!" Blair smiled brightly.

"My cards, my personal papers, my phone...oh how I've missed you." Jo thoughtfully kissed it.

Blair made a face, "Really, Jo. You know how much germs those things carry?"

"Would ya let me enjoy, please?"

Blair smiled as she sat next to the brunette and hugged her, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Jo mocked exasperation. "Now what did you say we had to do?"

"Well, I was reading up on the computer. We should call all your accounts, advise your data has been compromised and that you need all privacy settings updates. Security questions changed, account numbers, mailing address. Oh, call your Captain so he can change your work number internally and get it out to only your colleagues that need it. Remember he said that."

Blair talked a mile a minute. Jo watched her in awe. The women got started on the calls.

* * *

Angel had made himself scarce and was now helping put up Jo's new lock while Dani finished cleaning up the living room.

Jo had walked out of her bedroom to grab a drink for her and Blair and caught the young woman passing her fingers over an empty nail on the wall.

"It used to have a picture of me and Blair."

Dani's head snapped towards Jo. The woman's arms were crossed over her chest.

"Oh, I was um...just…" Dani stuttered slightly. She could tell Jo wasn't her biggest fan for some reason.

"Thanks for helping clean up." Jo stated a little softer this time as she uncrossed her arms.

"Uh sure." Dani nodded.

Jo returned the nod and then headed towards the kitchen.

"Hey." She heard Dani's voice behind her. She turned around to face the young woman. After a few seconds of the girl not talking Jo expectantly raised her eyebrows, "Did you need something Dani?"

"Uh, yeah...um...if you have the...the picture I can put it back up for you. Just tell me where it's at and I'll…"

"I don't have the picture anymore. See all those empty spaces in between things on my mantle and the empty nails on the wall...all used to be pics that were all thrown away. So, don't worry about it." Jo bit slightly as she turned from Dani and opened the fridge.

It was a touchy subject for Jo as Robert had ripped them all off the walls and into pieces right in front of her to remind her that she only had him to count on moving forward.

Dani decided to quietly walk away. She made her way towards Jo's room to check in on Blair.

"Snoots, can I borrow your phone? I'm all out of charge."

Blair easily gave up her phone for Dani to take. Dani and Jo bumped into each other as the young girl walked out of Jo's room with her head down. The collision caused Jo to spill some juice on her clothes...or well, Blair's clothes as they had come straight here from their busy morning, that started with Blair's lawyer. Which reminded Jo, she should really pack a decent bag for herself now that she wasn't in a rush.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Dani quickly apologized.

"Clearly." Jo advised with raised eyebrows and tight lips. Dani scurried off and Jo shook her head.

"Could you try and be nice to her." Blair admonished as Jo handed her the glass of juice.

"I'd say the same thing to you about Angel." Jo knowingly tilted her head before plopping herself on the bed to sit next to Blair.

"Touché." Blair realized.

They gave each other a knowing smirk.

* * *

By the time they had called about all of Jo's accounts and set up the new locks and security cameras, which only got done tonight because Angel stepped in and provided his expert tech savy, it was late. They were exhausted. Jo and Blair stepped out of her room with Jo's luggage.

"You know Jo, they sell these with little wheels now." Blair complained.

"Aw, jeez. Cut me a break, Blair."

They found Angel and Dani huddled on the couch together laughing at some video from one of their cell phones. It seemed older, and banged up, so Jo deduced it was probably Angel's.

Blair walked in front of Jo towards the car to put up the heavy suitcases she was lugging. Jo however, stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed something. She slowly passed her hand along the wall at a printed out picture of her and Blair. It was the same one she had appreciated earlier today at Blair's place.

It had always been her favorite.

The picture was Scotch taped into place. She smiled at the photo once more then looked towards the couch. Angel had gotten up and was helping Blair with the bags. Dani stood apprehensively.

Jo pointed to the picture, "Your doing?"

Dani swallowed thickly, but nodded nonetheless.

"Thanks." Jo whispered as she gave her a small smile.

The young girl's countenance changed as she smiled widely.

"Here. Help me with these bags." Jo stated. Dani rushed over and grabbed one.

"So uh, how'd you get a picture of us?" Jo asked as they walked towards the door.

"Miss Warner's phone."

Jo smiled as Dani called Blair by her last name. Solidifying even more that Blair really was a mentor, or a sisterly or a motherly figure in Dani's life.

"Although, it wasn't easy...Snoots takes _a lot_ of selfies."

Jo couldn't help but laugh as she side-hugged Dani. She and Angel were good kids.

* * *

**DV Quote 1:** _**"It is a rare person who can cut himself off from mediate and immediate relations with others for long spaces of time without undergoing a deterioration in personality."**_

_**Harry Stack Sullivan, The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry** _


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

**Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

_**Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word** _

* * *

" _Answer the question, Detective Polniaczek." Robert's lawyer demanded._

" _I'll remind you, you're under oath." The judge warned._

" _I uh…" Jo worriedly glanced towards Blair who was sitting in the courtroom in between Jo's mother and Mrs. Garrett._

" _Detective Polniaczek, we don't have all day. Have you now or ever...had romantic feelings for Blair Warner?" Robert's lawyer exasperatedly repeated as he motioned towards Blair._

_Robert sat back, hands behind his head, a smug look on his face._

" _What does this have to do with anything?" Jo nervously spat._

" _Your honor?" Robert's lawyer protested._

" _Detective…" The judge prodded. "Answer counsel's question."_

" _Yes." Jo whispered._

" _Yes, what?" The lawyer snidely asked for clarification._

" _Yes, I have had…" She swallowed thickly. "...romantic feelings for…Blair Warner." She mumbled the last part. Her eyes once again landed on Blair. The blonde seemed upset as she stood up and hastily made her way out of her row._

" _Blair?! Please?! Wait!" She called after the retreating blonde. "Blair, just listen to me...please! Blair!" Jo headed for the double wooden doors of the courtroom where Blair had disappeared through._

" _Detective Polniaczek, you're still under oath and being questioned." Robert's lawyer grabbed her and pulled her back._

" _Get off of me." She angrily shrugged him off. "I have to go after her. I have to..."_

" _Bailiff, take her away." The judge ordered._

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Blair darted up out of her sleep when she heard the blood curdling cry from Jo. The brunette was drenched in sweat, her eyes shut tightly as her arms flailed and her legs bucked under the sheets.

"Jo." Blair's voice was full of concern as she gently tried to shake the woman awake. "Jo."

"Blaaaiiirrrr." She cried.

"Jo, it's okay. I'm right here. Jo...wake up." Blair soothed in her ear as she hugged her close, narrowly avoiding a fisted palm to the face.

"Pleeeaasseee." Came another whispered cry from the brunette.

"I'm right here. You're okay. You're safe. Come on Jo, please wake up." Blair rocked Jo in her arms, the soothing words being spoken into Jo's ear helping her to calm ever so slightly.

"I'm sooorrrrryyy." Still stuck in her dream, her weeping continued.

"Shhh. Shhh." The blonde rubbed soothing circles on Jo's back. "You're safe. I got you. You're safe. Wake up for me. Please, Jo." She pleaded desperately.

The lulled rocking continued for several minutes.

"Blair?" The brunette quietly questioned with a sniffle.

Blair pulled back to find a confused Jo staring at her. She watched as panicked green eyes tried to take in their surroundings.

"Hey." The blonde tenderly brushed back Jo's bangs. "You okay?"

Jo nodded, "Bad dream is all." Her eyes avoided Blair's worried gaze.

"You want to talk about it?" The blonde followed up.

Jo swallowed thickly, "I have to go to the bathroom." She abruptly removed herself from Blair's embrace and fled to the restroom.

Blair let out a troubled sigh. It had been this same song and dance for the last few nights, but today...today Blair wasn't going to let Jo shut down on her. She threw back the covers and dashed towards the bathroom. She gently knocked on the door.

"Go away, Blair." Came the gruff response.

"I need to pee."

Jo rolled her eyes, "Use the hall bathroom."

"I'm coming in, Polniaczek."

Before Jo could protest, the bathroom door swung open.

"Hey! What if I would've been taking a dump?" Jo protested as she looked up to find concerned brown eyes staring back at her.

"Then you'd have one heck of a time cleaning up after yourself." Blair pointed to Jo, who was sitting on the ground.

"Bathrooms are meant to be private." The brunette chastised.

"Learn to lock doors."

"You know? You're a real pain in my keister sometimes."

A small smile appeared on the blonde's face, "Only sometimes?"

"Blair." She warned. She was in a mood.

Blair took in her friend. Jo's legs were wide open. Her right leg bent at the knee with her arm resting on it as her back rested on the exposed side of the white tub.

Blair loved tough girl Jo, "Why Jo, am I growing on you?"

"Like fungus."

Blair haughtily upturned her nose at the comment as she made her way in and sat next to the brunette.

Jo let out a sigh, "I thought you had to pee?" Was the whispered question as her gaze turned to meet the blonde's.

"With you here? Are you crazy? Bathrooms are supposed to be private." A playful smirk followed.

Jo shook her head and let out a chuckle.

"That's better." Blair whispered.

Jo questioningly raised her eyebrows at the blonde's comment.

"You laughing." Blair answered the unasked question.

Jo nodded, "I'm not doing much of that lately, huh?" She dropped her head suddenly finding the non-existent lint of her left pant leg very interesting.

"No…" Blair threw an arm around the brunette's shoulders. Jo allowed it. "But, you'll get there."

"Thanks, Blair." She laid her head against the blonde's.

"Anytime."

"Thanks for not pushing me to talk about it. I...I'm not ready." She shamefully admitted.

She felt Blair nod.

"But, when I am…could you...will you..."

"I'll be here." Blair knowingly interjected.

Jo smiled. That's what she loved about Blair, _well, one of the many things I love about her,_ the blonde knew it was hard for Jo to open up and that she didn't like mush, so she would just...keep it ' _unmushy'_ for Jo's sake.

They sat like that for about an hour till Jo felt Blair's head start to slip. She lovingly steadied it against her shoulder. Several more minutes passed as Jo secretly delighted in watching the blonde sleep soundly.

Green orbs slowly took in the blonde's face. _God, you're so beautiful. I wish I could…_ She hesitantly reached out her free hand, the one that wasn't holding the blonde close to her own body, and slowly traced Blair's features. Her hairline, her eyebrows, the cute little indentation that would form in the middle of the blonde's brow, her nose.

Jo chuckled when Blair sleepily swatted her hand.

Jo's finger remained unflinching as it eked its way to the blonde's supple lips. She swallowed thickly at how they felt against her fingers. _What I wouldn't do to just lean over and capture them against my own._

"Mmmm...that tickles." Came the half-hearted complaint from the slumbering blonde.

"I'm sorry." Jo whispered her apology with a settled kiss to Blair's forehead. _About five inches North of where I really want to kiss you princess, but it'll have to do._

"Hmmm." Was the incoherent response to Jo's apology as she snuggled closer to the brunette.

"Hey, we should try to get some sleep." Jo murmured, the blonde's soft breaths were now at the base of her neck and if that kept up she wouldn't be able to resist kissing Blair on the lips any longer.

"Mmmm...Jo?"

"Yeah?"

"I really do need to pee." Came the drowsy mumble.

Jo smiled, "You need help or something? 'Cause I gotta tell ya'...some lines should not be crossed."

Blair chuckled, eyes still closed.

* * *

Robert sat in his car sipping a fresh cup of hot coffee. He angrily sucked at his teeth as he stared across the street at Jo's apartment. He took another sip before putting the cup back in the holder.

She'd change the locks and put up security cameras. _Blair's doing, no doubt._

He would have to call his mother and advise her that he and Jo had an argument and that he would need to stay with her for a while. He had broken the lease to his apartment when he moved in with Jo, so it would be hard to pass any required credit applications for a new place.

It didn't matter though, his mother wouldn't really pay him any mind. She was ashamed of him. Another failed relationship, she'd say. She'd ask him if he...if he went back to his old habits? That's what she called it…' _old habits'._ If he had gotten ' _angry'_ again? She would whisper it. A dirty secret she prayed he would eventually ' _grow out of'_. A look of disappointment would grace her features. No doubt a few more worry lines would be added to her face.

"FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK! FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK! FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK!" He repeatedly slammed his open palm against the car's dashboard.

He took in a few calming breaths as he sat back in his seat. His eyes darted around, making sure no one had seen him lose his cool. It was still a few hours before dusk and not many people were out and about in the usually quiet neighborhood.

He had been picked up yesterday while on duty. Embarrassed was an understatement. The way his own buddies looked at him. The judgmental glances from his colleagues. _Stupid bitch! Has everyone believing her nonsense._

Now the story he told when they had found him with his pants down, knocked out cold, was being put into question. A robbery gone bad he told them. He was just coming out of a shower, getting dressed to go to his mother's. There was nothing to steal. All their valuables were in their safe. He would be fine. Just a little banged and bruised up...mostly his ego.

Now they suspected that he was...a rapist? He's told Jo about that silly accusation. They are in a relationship. As his woman she has certain duties to him. He's not some hood off the street assaulting her.

He took another sip of his coffee. His mind continued to swirl as rage filled eyes focused on the front door to Jo's brownstone.

" _If you_ _ **ever**_ _call me a rapist again, I will kill you, Jo...you hear me?" He held her down against the pillows. He was through with her, he wanted to sleep, and she was starting with her bullshit complaining again. It had gone on all night…_

" _It hurts. Please stop. I said no." He patronizingly mimicked her voice._

" _No means no." She whispered defiantly._

" _Oh yeah? You want to know what real rape looks like? Huh?" He slapped her._

" _Maybe I'll go find that little whore of yours and make you watch. You want that? Then you'll see what a rape looks like. You want that?" Another slap._

" _No." She whimpered._

_He menacingly smiled, he knew her weakness._

" _Ah, it wouldn't work anyways...knowing her...she'd probably like it." He sneered._

_He watched as her eyes filled with anger, but she held it in. She knew better._

He was let out this morning. Somehow he had missed three opportunities for Bail Hearings yesterday. He knew that was probably his Captain's doing. _Another idiot believing Jo's lies._

He had his gun on him. He had another few hours before he had to get it to the precinct. That's what the Captain advised when he made bail this morning. _He wants me to do it during shift change...to embarass me even more._ He would be suspended without pay. _That dyke and her little whore of a girlfriend lying on me, what else can I expect._ He turned the motor over and eased out into the street.

"You're going to pay for what you're doing to me...you fucking bitch." He muttered as he haphazardly drove onto the sidewalk in front of Jo's place.

"Believe me...you are going to pay..." He rolled down the passenger side window and angrily threw his almost full cup of coffee at the front door. "...where it hurts you the most."

* * *

Rose Polniaczek thanked her taxi driver, paid him his fare and hurriedly exited the cab. She ran up to Jo's front door. Frantic knocking followed. She had tried to contact her for three days now. Ever since Robert had shown up at her house the day after Christmas. He had knocked loudly on her door, yelling her name. She looked through her peephole and decided against opening for him. Something was off with him.

She had remained silent and waited till he left. She had been afraid to face him. She shuddered as she remembered the crazed look in his eyes. He was pale, disheveled, agitated, jittery.

If she was being honest with herself, she had had a lump in the pit of her stomach ever since the Christmas Dinner at the station. Something about the way Jo's countenance changed after Robert had arrived. The quick exit. The overall uncharacteristic behavior from her daughter the last few months. Blair's blanched look when she left the break room that evening. The young woman's strange anxiety attack thereafter.

"You looking for Jo?"

Rose turned to the voice. A stoutly woman with graying hair and a dark complexion was piling her trash next to the designated area in front of the building.

_She's probably trying to beat the early morning deadline for trash pick up._ Rose mused.

"Uh, yeah. I'm her mother." She answered the older woman, who was probably in her mid seventies if Rose had to guess.

"Oh, I know...I've seen you before...and Jo goes on and on about her ' _Ma'_."

Rose gave her a small smile, "I'm Rose."

"Clara."

"Nice to meet you, Clara. Uh...have you seen Jo today?" She asked hopefully.

"Well, it's still quite early, but she's not home today. Actually, she hadn't been for a few days until yesterday."

"Did she...was she…" Rose didn't know what she wanted to ask. _Did she look okay? Was she safe?"_

She didn't know how much Clara knew about her daughter's life and she didn't want Jo to get upset with her for divulging information to the neighbors. But mostly, she didn't want to admit to herself why she would have to ask those types of questions.

"She came with her friend, the pretty blonde one that used to visit all the time before...well before the boyfriend started coming around." The older woman stated. "Might be planning a trip. They left with several suitcases."

_Hopefully, she's leaving that asshole._ Mrs. Clara didn't want to worry Jo's mother, but...she had seen it. The signs. Jo stopped coming over and checking in on her. Stopped bringing her soup from her favorite italian restaurant a few blocks away. Stopped organizing her pills for the week by hour and day. Stopped taking out her garbage for her when Jo deemed it was too cold out. Mrs. Clara would hear it. The yelling. The threats from Robert towards Jo. She had called the police once. They came. They ignored it because Robert and Jo were cops and Jo had said it was a misunderstanding. After that Jo made it clear to Mrs. Clara to mind her own business.

" _It's just better for everyone involved. You understand, don't you Mrs. Clara?" Green eyes stared desperately at the older woman._

"Thank you, Clara. I uh...really appreciate it." Rose took out her cell and once again tried to reach her daughter. In her haste to walk up a few blocks to try to hail a cab, she didn't spot the new set of security cameras littered around Jo's property or the huge splatters of old coffee on the door and on the concrete steps leading up to the brownstone. The empty coffee cup they had emitted from, long blown away by the wind, sat discarded near Mrs. Clara's trash pile.

* * *

"Hello?" Rose Polniaczek spoke into her landline when Robert picked up. She'd had it for years, but ever since the invention of cell phones, she rarely used it.

" _Mrs. Polniaczek?"_

"Robert? Where's Jo?" She tried to control her nerves. She still didn't really know what was going on with her daughter and she was scared to death. She had been trying to locate her all morning, even calling Robert several times, but he seemed to be avoiding her cell calls.

" _I...I don't know Mrs. Polniaczek. She's been gone for a few days and...I think she's hanging out with Blair. Somehow, they've concocted this story about how...I...I was fighting with Jo when Blair came to visit. They had me arrested and...Blair was the one that assaulted me! I never liked her influence over Jo. It's...it's strange."_

Rose's chest grew tight, "Had you arrested?"

" _Yes. Blair conks me on the back of the head with a lamp, I got twenty four stitches because of it, and I'm the aggressive one? Blair got Jo to take out some bogus restraining order on me."_

Rose felt sick to her stomach.

" _I'll admit, we had been fussing because I just didn't think it appropriate for Jo to hang out with Blair so often. It's just...I don't know what is going on with those two. I'm telling you, that Blair, she...she's got a strange hold on Jo. Has her convinced that...that she doesn't like men anymore? Can you believe that? Jo has always been with men. She's brainwashed her. Put unnatural ideas into her head. You should hear some of the crazy things Jo says after speaking with her. I'm telling you Mrs. Polniaczek, the way she and Blair touch each other and carry on...it's worrisome. They...they wanted to go away for a weekend together and...I may have put my foot down, it's true...but only because Lord knows what sinful acts Blair had in mind. These rich types, they know no bounds. Jo got angry because I advised her against it and...we argued, but that's all Mrs. Polniaczek, then Blair came by and…"_

Tears gathered in Rose's eyes, a lump formed in her throat. Robert kept talking in her ear, but she had tuned him out. Her mind was a myriad of thoughts. They'd come to her like photos. Flashbacks.

" _ **Where's your bike?" Rose asked as she sat in Jo's kitchen.**_

" _ **Oh, uh...I got rid of it." Jo shrugged. Her back was turned as she poured them some coffee.**_

" _ **Why? You love that thing...probably more than you love me and your father." Rose tried to tease.**_

" _ **I just did, okay? Can you drop it?"**_

" _ **Jo?"**_

_**The brunette turned around, anger in her eyes, "It was never very feminine anyway...isn't that what you always said? You should be happy!"** _

They kept coming…

" _ **Jo is everything alright?" She called her daughter, but it sounded like Jo had been crying.**_

" _ **Yeah, ma. I just...allergies." Jo advised through the phone.**_

" _ **Joanna Marie, since when do you have allergies? Do not lie to me. What is wrong? Blair has called me three times today going on and on about how she is worried about you. Now, what is going on?"**_

" _ **Why would I lie? You know Blair. She's a drama queen. Nothing is wrong."**_

" _ **Who is that?" Robert's voice echoed in the background.**_

" _ **Look ma, I'd better hang up. Talk soon."**_

" _ **Jo? Hello? Jo?"**_

"Oh God…" She whispered to herself. Every memory a vivid nightmare.

" _ **Sweetheart, what happened?" Rose had dropped by to visit Jo. She found her with a huge shiner.**_

" _ **You always said my mouth would get me in trouble." She gave her mother a nervous smile.**_

" _ **Who did this?" Rose reached out to assess the damage.**_

_**Jo flinched away, "Perp at work. Looks worse than what it really is. It's nothing. It doesn't even hurt anymore. Report's been written. Nothing's broken. I'm fine, ma."** _

" _ **Jo?" She tried to reach out again.**_

" _ **I said I'm fine." Jo pulled her mother's hands away from her face. "Please don't make a big deal over this."**_

She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head, willing the horrible memories to stop.

" _ **Hey, I came by to take you to lunch." Rose dropped by the precinct unannounced.**_

_**Jo looked up, Rose noticed the small gash near her temple.** _

" _ **Ma, I wish you would've told me you were coming. I can't um...I can't go. I have a lot of work, so..." Green eyes kept darting behind Rose.**_

" _ **Jo, it's fine. I got this." Magda called from her desk.**_

_**Rose turned and gave her a thankful smile. Then back to Jo, "See, your partner's got you covered." She said expectantly. Jo didn't budge.** _

" _ **Besides, Blair and Edna are in the car downstairs. It was meant to be a surprise. Edna's birthday is this week and so we thought it'd be nice for her girls to take her out to eat." She followed up, hoping Jo would stop being so stubborn.**_

_**Rose watched as Jo's eyes stared across the room once more, then back at her, "Yeah, I...I can't go. I'm sorry, ma."** _

" _ **What do I tell Blair and Edna?"**_

" _ **THAT I WAS BUSY! SOME OF US WORK FOR A LIVING AND CAN'T BE HANGING OUT WITH MRS. G IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK LIKE PRINCESS BLAIR! BESIDES, I DIDN'T ASK THEM TO COME!" She slammed down the pen in her hand, pushed back from her chair and angrily walked away.**_

She tried to control her breathing. All the times she'd talk to Jo. Every time she had seen a bruise. The unusual use of heavy make-up all of a sudden. The weight loss. The distancing from all her friends and family.

" _ **Aren't you hot in that thing?" Rose pointed at her daughter's sweater. Jo had come to visit her at her apartment for the afternoon, a rare treat in the middle of the work week.**_

_**It was late June. Today had been a particularly hot day. High of eighty-seven degrees.** _

_**Jo pulled at the garment, "I've been a little under the weather. Having cold chills."** _

Rose shook her head. _Robert was abusing Jo. This whole time, Robert was hurting my baby. I didn't protect my baby._

" _Mrs. Polniaczek, if you can just tell Jo I_ _want to talk about things. Work them out. But, she has to understand she can't continue to make up stories. This could_ _ruin my career._ _If this thing with Blair continues, well...I just don't want to think about the consequences. Tell her that for me, please?_ " Robert's voice made it to her ears again.

"Are you threatening my daughter?" Came the unexpected accusation.

" _What?"_ Robert let out a chuckle. " _Of course not. I would never. I love her. But, actions have serious consequences and...she...she's just not thinking_ _ **straight**_ _. I'd...I'd hate for all of this to_ _ **come out**_ _, Mrs. Polniaczek."_

"Oh God." She realized Robert must know or suspect that Jo liked women. _I led her into Robert's arms._

"Listen to me and listen to me good, Robert Gray. I don't know the whole story, but I will find out."

" _Oh, Mrs. Polniaczek...what are you saying?_ _You don't actually believe these lies, do you?"_ He laughed. It was dismissive. It was arrogant. It was condescending. " _I'm not the problem here, Blair is...and if we don't…"_

"That's right, Robert...I don't believe _**your**_ lies...and if _**you ever**_ so much as look at my daughter the wrong way ever again...well, let's just say Blair Warner hitting you over the head will be the least of your worries."

Another dismissive laugh, " _Why's that?"_

"Cause if I get ahold of you...they won't find a head to put the stitches on...you **son-of-a-bitch**!"

* * *

" _Edna...Edna...I…"_ Rose Polniaczek had called the one person she knew would know if her daughter was okay.

"Rose, calm down." Edna Garrett sat up in bed and turned on the overhead lamp next to the nightstand in Blair's master bedroom. It was still quite dark out.

" _Edna...Jo's…please, I..."_

"She's with us...and she's safe." Mrs. Garrett quickly reassured. She listened as a relieved sob escaped Jo's mother.

" _Oh, Edna. I...I'm so worried. I won't rest till I see her for myself."_ She cried.

"I know." Mrs. Garrett was a mother. She understood where Rose Polniaczek was coming from.

" _Her phone's not working and Blair's is going straight to voicemail. I...I have to see her. Robert...he's...oh God...I have to see her."_

Mrs. Garrett nodded, "They had a long day yesterday. Blair's phone ran out of charge and she probably just didn't turn it back on before they went to bed. Jo got her phone back, but...her Captain changed the number internally only for some of the people in her department to have access to and...she hasn't had time to call friends and family to let them know about the change."

She heard choked sobs escape Jo's mother, "Rose, she's here. At Blair's. Well, next door, but with Blair. And she's safe. Okay?" She reassured once more.

" _Okay."_ Came the whispered reply.

"Rose, she needs her mother...now more than ever, she needs her mother."

Rose let out a whimpered cry, " _Edna, I...doubt that. She's in this mess because of me. She's got you. You've...you've always understood her."_

"And I'm here. And I love her. And I will always be here. She knows that. But, I'm just Mrs. Garrett. You're her...you're her ' _ma'._ "

Rose chuckled in between tears.

Mrs. Garrett smiled when she heard a little giggle escape the other woman, "It's still early. Go back to bed. Rest easy knowing she's safe."

" _Yeah."_ Rose agreed with an exhausted tone.

"Blair's hired about five bodyguards. She wanted a whole fleet, but Jo wouldn't hear of it. They compromised on the five."

Rose chuckled, " _Sounds about right for those two."_

Edna let out her own chuckle when she thought of the validity of that statement.

"The most important thing in all of this...is that she's safe...and loved." Edna advised.

" _Yes."_

"And today...I will have Jo call you and...I'm sure we will be seeing each other sometime later. Okay?"

Rose nodded, " _Okay. Thank you, Edna."_

"Hey, no sweat."

" _Edna?"_

"Yes?"

" _Not...not just for today, but...I don't know if I ever um...thanked you…Edna, for being a second mother to my...our daughter. "_

Tears gathered in Mrs. Garrett's eyes, "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

" _I think I do...which is why it needed to be said. Thank you for loving Jo like your own. Those girls are lucky to have you."_

"I'm lucky to have them."

" _And for the record, you will never just be Mrs. Garrett. That name takes on a whole lot of meanings. Believe me. And I will forever be grateful to you for that."_

* * *

"Morning." Jo muttered when she walked into Dani's kitchen. She found the young woman over the stove cooking scrambled eggs.

"Morning, Detective Polniaczek." Dani acknowledged over her shoulder when the brunette in question sat at the kitchen island.

"Want some coffee?" The young girl followed up as she lowered the heat on the eggs she was cooking.

"Uh, sure." Jo reluctantly agreed.

Dani put down the spatula in her hand, "What flavor?" She asked as she made her way towards the coffee maker.

"Surprise me." Jo threw her a tight smile.

Dani nodded and got to work on preparing Jo's coffee.

Jo reached for her cell and sent off a quick text, ' _Mrs. G., Dani's making me "coffee". Can you bring me over real coffee? Thanks! - Jo P.'_

"Glad you got your phone back?" Dani pointed to the device in Jo's hand.

"Oh yeah." Jo shook it slightly. "Didn't realize how much I missed it...or well...missed what it represents."

"What it represents?" Dani curiously questioned.

"Freedom" Jo whispered as she looked at the phone once more. She was never really a phone person, but...to be able to just pick up the phone and call or text whomever she wanted. Whenever she wanted. What a privilege. One that Robert had stripped from her. She would not take it for granted moving forward.

"It's funny how...you don't realize or appreciate certain things in your life till they're gone, huh?" Jo commented.

Dani nodded. Jo saw her eyes water.

"So, is Angel coming?" Jo tried to change the subject. She realized Dani was probably thinking about her parents.

"Yeah, he should be here soon. He'll have the cameras and the locks changed at Miss Warner's place in no time. Yesterday the whole, breaking into the safe thing, took up a little more time." She advised as she walked towards Jo and placed a steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee in front of her.

Jo nodded, "Thanks." The cup sat there.

Dani gave Jo a small smile. Jo returned it as she nervously tapped the island counter.

"Go 'head." Dani motioned towards the cup.

"Oh." Jo let out an uneasy chuckle. "Right...the coffee." She brought the mug up to her lips and sipped.

Dani pursed her lips.

Jo swallowed slowly. _Big mistake_. "Mmmm. What uh...what flavor is this?" She asked, her teeth stuck together.

"Oh, let me see." Dani walked back to the coffee maker, "It's called, 'I know you don't like my coffee so I'm screwing with you and made you the sweetest, cakiest tasting flavor on purpose'. Hmmm, manufactured in ' _Lie_ -Oming'."

Dani turned back towards Jo with a cocky smirk.

The woman playfully scowled at her.

"Mrs. Garrett brought you this this morning." Dani pulled up a thermos. She poured Jo a cup and placed it in front of her.

"Sugar?" She asked the detective. Cocky smirk still planted on her face.

"No thanks, smartass. I'm sure there's still remnants on my tongue from the crap you call coffee."

Dani chuckled.

Jo still made a face when she took a sip of Mrs. Garrett's coffee.

"Want some water to clear out the other flavor?" Dani offered, her tone sincere.

Jo nodded. Dani handed her some water.

"Thanks." Jo whispered.

Just then Dani's phone vibrated. Jo watched as a huge smile graced the young woman's lips.

"It's Angel. He's twenty minutes away." She advised, still goofily staring at her phone.

_Kid has it bad._ Jo mused. "Angel says your childhood friends?"

"Yeah, I've known him since I was nine years old." Dani was now back at the stove putting the finishing touches on breakfast.

"How'd you meet?"

"Neighbors."

"That's it? Neighbors?" Jo asked. "He's my neighbor...just there...just my neighbor." Jo playfully mocked.

"Okay, fine." Dani chuckled at the woman's antics.

"My dad owned a garage in our old neighborhood. He would let the local kids hang out in the break room. Let them play games, do their homework, watch TV. He'd let them clean up here and there for money. Things like that. Keep em' out of trouble."

Jo watched as the young woman had a distant look about her.

"Angel and I had always known each other from school and living in the same building. My mom would even let him and his siblings stay over sometimes. She'd help them get to school the next day and would always serve them a warm breakfast. Even if it was just oatmeal."

Dani shook her head. Jo worried that maybe her bringing up the girl's past wasn't the best idea.

"I remember that his dad got sent to prison when he was little and his mom...she...she worked a lot so she really appreciated my mom and dad helping. Sometimes she couldn't always take care of them so…they stayed over a lot." Dani shrugged.

Jo nodded. She understood that life all too well.

"Angel hasn't had it easy, but...he's a good guy." Dani stated, her back now to Jo as she dished out the cooked eggs onto several plates.

"I know Snoots doesn't think so. She worries about me, but...wanna know something?" She faced Jo momentarily as she grabbed some freshly made toast and threw it onto one of the plates.

Jo nodded.

"Right before my dad died, Angel had been working at the garage. Sweeping up. Cleaning tools. Filing things in my dad's office. Things like that. He was trying to save up money for these new sneakers. He was just ten years old, but already a hard worker and super responsible." Dani placed a full plate of scrambled eggs with cheese, slices of ham, and toast in front of Jo.

Jo nodded her thanks, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

"He wanted to buy them for the new school year, so they wouldn't tease him." Dani walked to her fridge and grabbed the cream cheese, the jelly, and some butter. She walked back towards Jo and spread them out before her.

"Anyway…" She continued, now placing napkins and utensils in front of the older brunette.

"He would tell my dad to please save the money for him at the shop because it was 'safer'." Dani chuckled at the memory.

Jo smiled at the wistful look Dani had. She didn't seem as detached as she had a few minutes earlier.

Dani leaned back against her sink's counter, arms gingerly crossed, "My dad would put it in an empty coffee can for him. He would count the money every week and then secretly double it."

"The day of my parents funeral, Angel wore this really nice suit and a tie. He sat there, next to me, the whole time and...he held my hand...all night. A ten year old. My own...my own family didn't do that." Dani had tears in her eyes.

Jo's own eyes glistened.

"Anyway…" Dani turned and busied herself with some dishes. "I later found out that Angel used the money he was saving up for his sneakers to buy the suit instead."

Jo smiled sadly. She could hear the emotion in Dani's voice.

"All that money he saved all summer and he...he bought the suit. His mom told me. Said he told her that my father was a man that deserved respect. To this day, Angel...he...he's always there, next to me, ready to hold my hand whenever I need him."

She turned to meet Jo's gaze, her eyes still glistening, "He's a good guy."

Jo nodded, "I know."

"You think you could work on telling Snoots for me?" Dani smiled ruefully. "She means well, but sometimes…"

Jo chuckled, "You're preaching to the choir."

They shared a knowing smile.

Their moment was interrupted when the doorbell rang. Jo stiffened at the sound. Dani didn't catch it before she excused herself and walked off to answer. Jo relaxed a bit when she heard Angel's voice greeting Dani.

* * *

Breakfast continued with easy conversation. Dani and Angel had joined Jo with plates of their own. Mrs. Garrett's and Blair's were covered with aluminum foil and placed in the oven for heating up later.

"Wait...how'd you get into Eastland after?" Jo asked.

"After my folks died?"

"Yeah." Jo offered Dani an apologetic smile.

"It's okay. I like talking about them. I mean it's hard sometimes, but...my brother, he doesn't like to really bring them up. It was hard for him losing my dad like that. They were so close. Him being the oldest...he took on a lot of responsibility that didn't belong to him and it's hard for him to think about those times so...I can't really talk to him. That's why people like Miss Warner and Angel are good to have around because I can talk to them about my parents. I like remembering them." Dani squeezed Angel's hand and the young man blushed.

Jo winked at them. They were absolutely adorable. And best of all, Dani seemed to only have eyes for Angel...and not Blair.

"Long story short, my mom's family always had money. My dad was a little more...lower class, shall we say...or at least by their standards. They didn't like him very much and always looked down on him, but my mom chose to be with him regardless so…" She shrugged.

"You're killing me here kid. You're giving me your life story by piece meal. I want to get to know you. You're obviously very close to Blair and...I'm staying in your house...your boyfriend's my new tech guy. I need details."

Dani chuckled, "He's not my boyfriend."

"And who's fault is that?" Angel playfully retorted, the same line he would always use on Dani.

"Yeah, don't get me started on that." Jo teased, having caught the playful banter between the two young people yesterday when they would base the fate of their non-existing relationship on Blair.

Dani smiled, "Anyways, you two...back to my parents and how I got to Eastland…"

Jo nodded for the girl to continue.

"My mom was studying at NYU. She graduated as a doctor, well, actually, a surgeon."

"Nice." Jo advised. She could see how proud Dani was of her mother.

"But, she didn't want to operate on rich people and only get richer. She wanted to...really help people, so she started working at this community clinic...in Brooklyn."

Jo nodded her approval.

"So she's working. Being a "do-gooder" and what not and in walks Pedro Sanchez. My mom says it was love at first sight."

Jo chuckled when Angel rolled his eyes.

"You don't believe in love at first sight?" She asked the young man.

Dani's interest was piqued at the question directed towards Angel.

"Aw come on...don't get me caught up in you all's ' _girl talk'_." He protested.

"Girl talk? And here I thought you were a feminist. Do you at least believe in love?" Jo teased him.

"I plead the fifth, detective." Angel smugly replied, his attention now on his phone.

"But like, yeah...you know...I love Dani...or whatever." He whispered after a few minutes.

"Sweeps you right off your fight doesn't he?" Dani addressed Jo, her tone light.

Jo chuckled.

The young woman awkwardly cleared her throat, "Anyway, my dad worked at a community center for inner-city youth. They had a fundraiser that day and my dad was taking the money to the bank. Some guys jumped him, split his head open and made off with the money. He was so upset about the money. My mom was his doctor that day and she had to apply stitches, but he asked if he could hold off treatment till he finished his trip to the bank before they closed. He was going to dip into his own savings to make up for the money that they stole from him. She said she loved his spirit. He...he was always helping someone. But, again, by my mother's side of the family...he had no money and...my mom's family didn't think he was good enough for her. But even with everyone against her...my mom chose my dad over money. At least that's how I always looked at it until one day, my dad said…'Mi'ja, she chose happiness over money. There's a difference'."

"I guess, my mom used to say something similar to what my dad would say. She used to tell me, 'Sweetheart, don't let anyone tell you what's good for you. If it feels right and you're happy, then that's what is good for you.' My dad made her happy."

Jo pondered Dani's last statement. _Don't let anyone tell you what's good for you. If it feels right and you're happy, then that's what is good for you._

"Eventually, when my mom had us kids, her family wanted to make sure we would be well off so they let her have her trust fund back. My dad and she discussed it and...they lived a good life without her family's money. A happy one. They weren't rich, but they were comfortable and they didn't need the money so...they made a Will for all of it to go to us kids and...when they passed, mine and my brother's life changed completely."

"Enter Eastland." Jo knowingly advised.

Dani nodded, "And eventually Snoots."

Jo chuckled, "Okay, I gotta ask... _Snoots_?"

Dani and Angel shared a look then they looked back at Jo.

"See, the thing is…" Dani began to explain how Miss Warner's nickname came to be, but just then Blair Warner made her presence known.

"Good morning." She stated as she hugged Jo from behind, her lips sneaking a kiss to Jo's neck.

Jo shyly shrugged away from the peck, but couldn't hide the goofy smile on her face.

_Blair has got to get a handle on this touchy feely crap._ Jo internally admonished when Angel and Dani raised questioning eyebrows towards the brunette.

Blair was happy that despite everything Jo had been through with Robert, or what she knew of it, since Jo hadn't really opened up about the details, that the brunette had been pretty receptive to Blair's usual displays of affection.

The brunette had always pretended to be annoyed by Blair's physical expressiveness, but had always allowed it. Blair suspected that Jo even secretly liked it. As she never really put her foot down or warned her to stop, and oftentimes even returned some of it with her own displays of affection when they were alone.

"Uh, Dani and Angel were just about to tell me how you got the nickname, ' _Snoots'_." Jo tried to turn the attention away from Blair's kiss.

The brunette watched as Blair stopped in her tracks on the way to pour herself some coffee.

The blonde turned around with one of her patented fake smiles, "That silly story. Don't you two have...cameras to install?" She walked up behind the kids and embraced them close. Dani on her left and Angel on her right.

"Run along now." She squeezed them tightly to her. "I'm not paying you to lollygag."

"You're not paying us at all." Dani complained.

"Oh you." Blair playfully squeezed Dani's chin. "My presence in your life is payment enough. Now get."

Dani rolled her eyes as Angel just snickered, but the two of them did get up and start to exit the kitchen.

"Dani?" Jo called after the girl. "Dani? Oh come on...we were just starting to build a rapport. You going to leave me hanging?"

Dani turned around, "Sorry, Jo...my alliance is to Snoots." She shrugged and threw Jo an apologetic smile. "Why with me not wanting to lose her _invaluable_ presence in my life...and all."

She ducked as a certain blonde playfully tossed a soaking wet dish towel her and Angel's way. The two youngsters laughed at the action as they dashed off towards Blair's place.

Jo turned her gaze towards Blair.

"Tough break, detective." Blair winked.

"My alliance is with Snoots. She's an invaluable presence in my life." Jo mimicked sulkingly.

Blair giggled as she walked towards a sullen Jo. The brunette was sitting on the stool, her legs wide open.

Blair nuzzled in between them as she hugged Jo's neck, instinctively pulling the brunette closer to her.

Soft brown eyes captured intense green ones.

"Is that how you interrogate all your suspects...by pouting?" The blonde whispered as her fingers absentmindedly played with the soft brown locks at the nape of Jo's neck.

Jo closed her eyes at the action, "No, I'm just not in my element right now." She breathed out.

"Hmm, I see." Blair's fingers slowly made their way to the front of Jo's neck and eventually they headed south to play with the top button of the brunette's top. "So, if we were in your element…"

"You'd be in a lot of trouble, Miss Warner." Jo nervously whispered.

"Would you cuff me?" Green orbs popped open to find soft brown ones mischievously staring back at her.

"Depends." Jo challengingly tilted her head.

"On what?" She husked.

"If you're being… hostile." Jo's eyes traveled down to soft pink lips then back up

Blair smiled at the unusual flirtation.

"Just so we're clear, by your element...you mean a musty, smelly room down in Manhattan, right?"

"Seriously, stop with the detective shows. Why does everyone think interrogation rooms are musty and smelly?"

"Oh, I was talking about your apartment." Blair playfully scrunched her nose.

Jo nervously chuckled. She tried not to read too much into the implication of Blair referring to her apartment as the place she wanted to be _'cuffed'_.

"What would my life be like without your shenanigans, Blair Warner?" She tenderly tucked some hair behind the blonde's ear.

"Let's hope you never have to find out, Joanna Marie." Blair lovingly booped the tip of Jo's nose as she removed herself from between the brunette's legs and made her way to finish pouring herself some coffee.

_From your mouth to God's ears, princess. From your mouth...to God's ears._

* * *

**DV Quote 1:** _**"Today I wore a pair of faded old jeans and a plain grey baggy shirt. I hadn't even taken a shower, and I did not put on an ounce of makeup. I grabbed a worn out black oversized jacket to cover myself with even though it is warm outside. I have made conscious decisions lately to look like less of what I felt a person**_ _**would want to see. I want to disappear."**_

_**Sierra D. Waters, Debbie.** _

**DV Quote 2:** _**"She serves me a piece of it a few minutes out of the oven. A little steam rises from the slits on top. Sugar and spice, cinnamon, burned into the crust.**_ _ **But she's wearing these dark glasses in**_ _ **the kitchen at ten o'clock**_ _ **in the morning. Everything nice**_ _ **as she watches me break off**_ _ **a piece, bring it to my mouth,**_ _ **and blow on it. My daughter's kitchen,**_ _ **in winter. I fork the pie in**_ _ **and tell myself to stay out of it. She says she's fine. No way could it be worse."**_

_**Raymond Carver** _


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

_**Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word** _

* * *

Blair looked towards Jo and rolled her eyes. The blonde had her phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder, Monica's voice coming through. Jo simply chuckled at the blonde's predicament. Jo on the other hand, was super relaxed. She had taken a shower not so long ago and was now laying on the bed in her pajamas reading a motorcycle magazine. Blair was rummaging through her suitcases because the brunette had yet to unpack.

"No mother. Because we already celebrated her birthday early for this same reason." The blonde picked out an outfit for Jo and laid it on the bed. The brunette shook her head. Blair made a 'give me a break' face. It was the tenth outfit the brunette had turned down and they had to go over to Blair's place to meet Jo's mother. Jo put her hands up in mock surrender and grabbed the jeans and sweater top.

"I know she wanted Jo to be there, but Jo was working." The blonde continued her conversation as she fluttered around the guest bedroom at Dani's place and started to organize Jo's things.

"Now is not a good time mother. I…" Blair stopped mid-sentence as Jo stood mere feet away from her in only panties and a bra. Black satin panties and a bra. _Sexy_ black satin panties and a bra.

" _Blair, dear?"_ Monica's voice brought her daughter back from the temporary stupor she was in.

"Mother, Jo and I will have a special day with Bailey...soon, but...things are hectic for both of us right now and I'm...I'm trying...I'm stretched thin...I…"

" _Alright, darling."_ Monica could hear the frustration in Blair's voice. She called Bailey to her and advised her about the special day with just her sister and Jo. The little girl was ecstatic, eliciting a genuine laugh from Blair.

"So, are we good now mother?" Blair made sure.

Jo smiled at the very unusual, very improper, very un-Blair like statement. She had taught the blonde that a few years back…' _We good?'._ Of course, Blair added a few verbs here and there, but still, she got the gist.

" _Of course, darling. We'll talk soon."_

Blair said her round of goodbyes to her mother and sister. As soon as she hung up she flopped onto Dani's guest bed, "She's so exhausting."

Jo chuckled as she walked towards Blair and held her hands out for the blonde. Blair grabbed them and allowed herself to be pulled up. Jo rotated her shoulder after doing so.

"I'm not that heavy." Blair frowned.

Jo gave her a small smile. It wasn't Blair's weight. Her whole arm hurt from Robert dragging and holding her down. But she liked that Blair's first thought was that of like when they were younger and would tease each other.

"No Princess. You're as light as a feather." She tenderly stroked Blair's chin. "Too light if you ask me." She pointed out. Blair was thinner than usual.

"I've been...stressed." Blair avoided eye contact.

Jo nodded. She was one to talk about weight loss.

"Stressed about me?" She finally asked as she tipped Blair's face to meet her gaze.

Blair shrugged.

"Blair, I've...I know we have to talk about...everything, but…" Jo swallowed thickly. "It's hard for me and…" The brunette let out a worried sigh.

"I'm here whenever you're ready, Jo."

"Thank you."

"Any time, Detective."

They shared a knowing smile.

"We should uh...head to your place."

Jo nervously let go of Blair's hands. She realized she had been holding them the whole time since she had lifted Blair, except for when she had briefly caressed the blonde's face a few times. The brunette awkwardly placed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

Blair agreed about having to get a move on. She stood, gave the room one more quick clean up, and then headed downstairs with Jo to make it to her place. As they walked towards Blair's front door they spotted an unusual car in the driveway. Jo started to backpedal immediately. Blair gently grabbed her hands and pulled her back.

"Blair, please." The brunette was terrified.

"It's okay." She soothingly brushed Jo's bangs out of her eyes.

"Wh...who...?" The brunette couldn't even get out her question as scared green eyes darted all around.

"I've seen the car before. I just can't…" Before Blair could tell Jo that she knew the car from somewhere, but couldn't place where, the owner of said vehicle made their presence known.

"Vic? What are you doing here?" Blair smiled brightly. Jo rolled her eyes and barely contained her gag reflex.

"I just had to come give you the great news in-person. We got the approval from the city for the little league team!"

"Oh Vic, that's wonderful." Blair enthusiastically hugged Vic.

 _So much for controlling my gag reflex._ Thought Jo.

"Yes. I figured you'd want to know as soon as possible. And the kids are super excited. They were there when we got the email. They wanted me to tell you right away and to let you know that they expect the center's owner to be at all the home games." Vic poured it on thick.

_Gag! Gag! Gag!_

"Of course I'll be there. We've all worked so hard for this the last couple of months."

Vic nodded, "Can we go in and hash out the details? It's freezing out here." She shivered slightly while she ran her warm glove covered hands over her heavily pea-coated arms.

 _Give me a break. I could roast chestnuts on her all the damn layers she's got on._ Jo internally griped.

Blair anxiously looked towards Jo. She knew having Vic there was not part of Jo's plan for today. The brunette had already voiced her displeasure about her mother coming to visit and now Vic was here.

"It's alright. You two go on ahead. I'll just wait with Mrs. Garrett. I'll be fine." Jo advised.

"Are you sure?" Blair worriedly asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if Vanessa here had to come all the way from the center to tell ya in-person, must be important."

"It's Victoria." The tall brunette, with great cheekbones, golden brown eyes, and honey colored skin corrected Jo.

"Right...right. Sorry. Never been great with names." Jo gave her a tight smile. It was returned.

"Shall we?" Victoria turned her attention back towards Blair. The blonde nodded as they made their way inside. She worriedly looked back towards Jo, the brunette's face was expressionless.

* * *

With Blair inside with... _Veronica_. Jo nervously paced the sidewalk in front of the blonde's driveway. Every once in a while she'd blow puffs of hot air into her hands to keep herself warm. Her mother was due any minute and she didn't know how their visit would go. Mrs. Garrett came out to meet the brunette.

Jo smiled as the woman handed her a cup of hot cocoa and then shoved some winter gloves into the pocket of her pants.

"Thanks, Mrs. G."

Edna nodded.

They leaned against the back of Blair's SUV. Jo silently sipped her cocoa while Mrs. Garrett hummed a comforting tune.

"Why are you out here freezing your buns off, Jo?" Edna asked after several minutes.

Jo chuckled.

"It sure is good to hear you laugh." Mrs. Garrett stated.

Jo nodded, "It's good to laugh. I...I've missed myself." Jo shook her head. "God, does that make any sense?"

Mrs. Garrett gave her a side hug, "Makes total sense."

"I'm nervous about my mom coming."

Mrs. Garrett nodded.

"I...I tried to tell her before...you know...about being gay, but she…" Jo couldn't bring herself to finish. To admit that her mother had pretty much abandoned her when she needed her most. "And talking about the...you know...what he did...I...I'm ashamed, Mrs. Garrett."

Mrs. Garrett nodded again.

"I'm gonna tell her...about being gay, but really tell her. I...I feel like I haven't even really admitted it to myself and so...how can anyone else take me seriously?"

Mrs. Garrett gave her a tender smile.

"But...I...what happened with Robert. That's...it's hard for me." She shook her head. "I can't…I don't ever want to go through that again." Her voice cracked and she felt Mrs. Garrett hug her tighter.

"Just remember that you are loved and that you don't have to hide who you really are from us. It might take some of them a bit more time than others, but...we got a great circle of family and friends and...they'll be here for you. They love you and they'll accept you...the real you. They always have. No reason to change that now. And what happened with Robert...it was not your fault, Jo. Don't ever forget that."

Jo nodded.

"And when...if...you're ever ready to talk about it, we'll be here." Edna felt another nod against her shoulder.

"So, are Blair and _Vivienne_ talking in the living room?" Jo pulled back from the hug. She had been experiencing too many moments of 'weakness' lately.

Mrs. Garrett chuckled, "I think her name is Victoria."

Jo gave her cheeky smile, "I was never good with names."

"Yooouuuu." Mrs. Garrett lovingly pinched her cheeks. "They're actually in the backyard...so if you wanna go in and stay warm the coast is clear."

"The backyard? I thought _Miss Thing_ was freezin'?"

Mrs. Garrett shrugged, "Apparently Blair doesn't know much about baseball and Victoria advised she could show her some moves."

"I'll bet."

"Jo." Mrs. Garrett playfully admonished.

"What?" Jo chuckled.

Mrs. Garrett shook her head as they made their way inside to the warmth of Blair's living room.

* * *

Mrs. Garrett, Rose and Jo were all sitting in Blair's den. Mrs. Garrett and Rose were talking about old family recipes. Jo was intently staring at the sliding glass doors that led to Blair's backyard. Rose had arrived about twenty minutes ago, but Jo was uneasy around her. Mrs. Garrett sensed this and decided to stick around. She received silent approval from Jo and now the older women were lost in conversation. However, Mrs. Garrett was keeping a close eye on Jo. The brunette was distracted. Her mind elsewhere. She knew part of it had to do with Rose's visit, but Jo's other distractor was the visitor that had come to see Blair about an hour ago. Said visitor and Blair were still in the backyard 'discussing' business having to do with the community center Blair owned.

Mrs. Garrett watched as green eyes continued to be glued towards the sliding glass doors and an anxious boot clad foot tapped against Blair's hardwood floors.

"Jo?" Her mother's concerned voice reached her ears.

"Yeah?" The young woman finally looked towards the other two.

"Another cup of coffee, sweetheart?" Rose asked cautiously. She was worried. Jo had been distant towards her ever since her arrival. Her daughter seemed resentful. Rose felt it in the way Jo would look at her.

"Uh, no. Thanks." Her eyes flitted back towards the sliding glass doors. Another frustrated breath escaped her as she angrily crossed her arms.

Rose anxiously looked to Mrs. Garrett. The older woman gave her a reassuring smile before taking another sip of her coffee and once again engaging Rose in conversation about different cooking recipes.

Mrs. Garrett and her mother's voices fell into the background as Jo watched " _Little Miss Perfect"_ teach Blair about baseball. She didn't like her... _Valerie_.

_I played so many sports, including softball, our whole youth and Blair never once wanted to learn. This is ridiculous. The princess does not do athleticism._

An avalanche of unwanted thoughts poured through Jo's mind as she avoided dealing with her mother and helplessly watched Blair learn the art of little league from her _friend._

_Why the heck does my mother have to be here? Today of all days...when Blair is entertaining guests. Pretty guests that flirt shamelessly with my princess._

_Why did Mrs. Garrett tell her it was okay to come? She knows I'm nervous about her being here. I just...our relationship isn't what it used to be. I'm mad at her. She could've helped me so many times, but she preferred me not be a lesbian than to see Robert was hurting me._

_She had to have known. She had to._

_I don't want to have to talk with her about Robert. About the abuse. She's my mother. I can't...I won't worry her like that._

_And if she knew, why couldn't she rescue me sooner? She didn't rescue me, Blair did. And I almost blew her head off about it._

_Maybe that's why my mother didn't help me? She knew how I'd react. She's always said I was a bully. Maybe that's why she didn't get involved? I'm so mean sometimes. I can't blame her._

Jo shook her head.

_Still, she's my mother...and Blair's my supposed best friend...and they...they abandoned me._

_They...they don't understand. Understand how angry I am. At them. At Robert. At the world! If they knew what I went through with him, all to avoid them finding out the truth about me. The disgusting truth._

_And why the hell is Viola coming to visit Blair at her house now? Are they besties or somethin'? I'm sure a simple phone call about the stupid city approving the little league team would've sufficed._

_Was she so busy with 'Miss Perfect Teeth' to see what was really happening to me? God, she doesn't change. Blair's always been so selfish and self involved. Meanwhile, I was being hurt to protect her. He said he'd kill her...and I believe it. I believe he's capable of it. Of hurting her...hurting my family...my friends. He'd...he would always tell me the places he'd see her at. I...I had to make sure she was safe. And this is the thanks I get?_

_And who the hell throws a baseball like that?_

_Center's little league coach? More like 'Coach Flirty McFlirty'._

_How am I going to bring up the subject of the abuse with my mother? I haven't told anyone that he...that he...he would rap…_

Jo shook her head again. _God, I can't even think it, let alone say it! Stupid, Polniaczek!_

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

_I can't tell my mom everything about Robert and I. That it started out as two friends who had a lot in common. Two kids from broken homes, poor, that 'made it'. Two friends who were going to protect each other. Two friends that no one understood. People had always misjudged us and made assumptions. He...he was nice at first. He was a friend. I...I couldn't have missed the signs. We...we were friends, right?_

_Friends?_

_I thought he was safe and so I used him to hide the fact that I'm gay...from work, from family, from friends...from Blair. No wonder he hates me. I'm the one to blame. I used him. They'll pick his side. They'll never understand._

_Blair especially. I can't tell her how I feel. She'll hate me. Hate me for hiding my feelings for her all these years. It'll repulse her._ _**I** _ _will repulse her. I couldn't stand to lose her._

_I...I'll just...I'll hide it and pretend to date again. Not a real person, because I can't...I can't ever let another man touch me...I...I am so scared. I'll keep the fact that I'm gay a secret and that way everybody's happy._

_Everybody, Jo?_

_Except me. I won't be happy._

_But I'll be safe._

_And Blair won't despise me._

_I won't lose her._

_That's important._

_But I'll lose myself. Every day I lie about who I really am, I feel like I'm dying inside. Just like Mrs. Garrett said._

_And...I've been dying inside for so long that I don't even know who I really am._

_There goes Blair, giggling that cute way she does. I hate it when she does it with other people._

_Annnnnnnd a hair flip. Great!_

_It's bad enough when she does it with her loser boy toys, but this…_

_Oh jeez, Violet almost hit Blair with the ball!_ Jo stood when she thought Blair was in danger of being hurt.

"Jo?" This time Mrs. Garrett's voice interrupted her. Jo looked her way. Her fingers anxiously opened and closed. She itched to be outside with Blair. To put a stop to Vicky's advances on her princess.

"Your mom and you should talk."

Jo swallowed thickly, but nodded her head in agreement. She nervously sat back down on the lounge chair. Her mother was across from her on a loveseat.

"I'll be in the kitchen." Mrs. Garrett stood to leave. As she passed by Jo, she lovingly patted her shoulder.

* * *

Jo and her mother shared an uneasy smile. Mrs. Garrett had left like ten minutes ago.

"It's cold out." Rose awkwardly stated the obvious.

Jo only nodded.

"Ma, I…" "Jo…" They spoke at the same time.

"You first." Jo acquiesced.

Rose nodded nervously as she sat forward and placed her coffee cup down on the tray Mrs. Garrett had left on Blair's Ottoman.

"I'm sorry." The older woman whispered.

Jo's eyes watered as she saw her mother's own glisten with tears.

She quickly made her way to kneel in front of the woman. She lovingly grabbed her hands, "You didn't do anything wrong, ma."

Rose shook her head, "I...I didn't accept it when you told me you…" Rose swallowed thickly.

"Liked women?" Jo helped her along.

Rose nodded, "And I...I don't understand still, Jo...I…" She shook her head. "You dated boys...all your life."

"I know, ma...but...it was because I got in trouble for kissing a girl. Don't you...did you...block that out?" Tears streamed down the brunette's face. "You spanked me so hard and...Gloria's mom she...I felt so dirty. So ashamed. I didn't want to go to hell. I was scared. I was scared and you didn't come for me."

Rose's brows knitted in confusion. _Didn't come for her?_ She watched as Jo had a faraway look on her face.

"He said I would go to hell and that...he could...he was going to fix me." Jo cried. "You didn't come. Every time he tried to fix me...you never came."

"Oh, baby." Rose gathered Jo in her arms. "I'm sorry, Jo. I'm so sorry that I didn't come. That I didn't save you from that bastard!"

"I wanted to make you proud." Jo cried.

"I am proud of you. Jo, you're perfect. You are so perfect and if I ever made you feel otherwise I am sorry. I love you, Jo. I love you and I won't let anyone hurt you again. Starting with me. I'm here now. I'm here and I...I don't understand it...you liking women. I...I was raised differently. I have a lot to learn, but I accept it because I love you and I...I'll...I support you, Joanna Marie. I support you."

Jo let out a choked sob. Her mother held her tighter as she tenderly stroked the younger woman's hair. She rocked the brunette back and forth as she continued to whisper soft reassurances in her daughter's ear.

They stayed like that for a while. Jo huddled in her mother's arms as Rose had somehow guided her onto the small couch.

"We used to cuddle like this when you were little, remember?" Rose whispered. Jo quietly nodded.

"We'd talk about our plans for the future." Rose continued in a soothing voice as calloused fingers tenderly ran through her daughter's soft tendrils.

"I was going to buy you a mansion and you would never have to wait on another table in your life."

"Mmmm." Rose nodded at the memory.

"Thank you." The older woman quietly stated.

Jo lifted her head slightly, "I...I never got you the mansion."

Rose smiled, "You'll never get me out of the Bronx. It's home. But, you pay all my bills and...I haven't worked in years."

Jo dropped her gaze.

"Hey." Rose tenderly tipped her daughter's chin. "Everyone back home always says, 'Rose, you lucked out with Jo. She's a good daughter. She takes care of you. She really loves you. And you know what?"

"What?" Jo asked.

"I always just smile and tell them they are absolutely right! You are a wonderful daughter, Joanna Marie. And I am so, so proud of the woman you've become."

"Aw, ma." Jo blushed.

Rose let out a little laugh, "Still can't take a compliment."

Jo shrugged. Rose brought her in and continued to hug her and run her fingers through Jo's soft locks.

"I love you." She whispered to Jo.

"I love you too." The young woman sleepily replied. Rose continued her caressing.

Rose knew somewhere along the way their roles had changed. Jo had become the mother. Always worrying about Rose working too hard. Rose being too tired. Always worrying about helping Rose out with expenses. As a teenager, Jo had worked in a garage, in Mrs. Garrett's shop, and several odd jobs to help pay for things. The girl would buy all her school supplies, new clothes, food when she moved in with Mrs. Garrett, so that Rose wouldn't have to worry about it.

She'd always keep her grades up so her scholarship would cover tuition. All the while she'd overwork herself with school and extracurricular scholastic activities so it would look good on her resume. She did it all so Rose wouldn't have to worry about the financial aspect of raising her. Even when she was little and Charlie had abandoned them, Jo would do chores for the neighbors and she would give all her earnings to Rose. Most kids would run down to the corner store for candies and sodas, but not her Jo. Jo felt she had to be on her best behavior so her mother wouldn't get tired of her and leave her too, just like Charlie had.

Then there was the emotional aspect...Mrs. Garrett had taken care of that. Rose was...Jo's mother in theory, but...somewhere along the way, they lost that close bond they used to have.

Rose couldn't change the past, and up until Robert, she knew that Jo's life was pretty great. The young woman had a career she loved. Friends that were like family to her. Friends that she would give her life for. She was a happy, healthy, well adjusted young woman. Jo loved her life, so Rose wouldn't go back and change ever sending her to Eastland. Maybe she would go back and try to be more present. More visits on the weekends. More mother daughter talks on the phone. But, she knew it was the right decision, getting her out of the Bronx, out of that gang she was in towards the end. Rose didn't want Jo to be a statistic like the rest of the kids she grew up with. And, here they were...Jo had become a statistic as an adult at the hands of some worthless creep all because Rose hadn't been more open minded.

No, Rose couldn't change the past, but she should've been more present and more aware. As soft breaths escaped her daughter, Rose whispered a promise to Jo. To always be there for her moving forward.

* * *

Jo sat up and stretched. Squinted eyes tried to take in their surroundings. Rose followed suit. She checked her watch and realized that they had fallen asleep for almost an hour.

Green eyes once again drifted towards Blair's backyard. _They're still back there? Little league baseball season isn't till summer. What could they possibly be talking about still?_

"How long does it take to show Blair the basics of little league baseball? Jeez, you'd think the Community Center was starting a National Team or somethin'." Jo muttered the last part.

Rose studied her. _The way she's acting is as if she were a jealous girlfriend or something._ Rose internally chuckled at the scowl on Jo's face.

 _Oh God! R_ ealization washed over her. _She's jealous of Blair's colleague. She likes Blair as more than just a best friend. She likes her, likes her._

"Ma?" Jo repeated. The woman's mind was elsewhere.

Rose shook her head, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you wanted to stay the night in Peekskill? You can take Blair's guest room, Mrs. Garrett is in the master and Blair and I have been staying at Dani's."

"Where is Dani staying?" Rose asked with a hint of amusement.

Jo chuckled as she shrugged. They'd been putting the girl out for days now.

"Joanna Marie." Rose admonished.

"I'm kidding. She was at a friend's, but last night she stayed in her room. There's plenty of extra rooms at Dani's and Blair's. It'll be fine. Will you stay?"

Rose nodded. She missed spending time with her daughter. Jo got up to go find Mrs. Garrett to let her know there would be an extra guest for dinner.

On her way out of the den Jo intently stared one last time towards the glass doors before heavily stomping out of the room.

Rose worriedly bit her lip as her eyes anxiously followed her daughter's retreating form. She hoped Blair would dispatch her guest home before dinner.

* * *

Blair, Jo and Rose laughed as Mrs. Garrett regaled them with tales of when Jo, Natalie, Tootie and Blair were teens in her charge. They were all sitting around Blair's dining room table eating some spaghetti and meatballs that Jo's mother had prepared. Of course, Jo knew it wasn't her mother's best as Rose hadn't prepared the sauce for three days, per her usual prerequisite for the Italian dish, but it was definitely edible.

"Oh, you should've seen this one when I met her." Edna Garrett pointed to Blair.

"Mrs. Garrett." Blair cutely protested. Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. She would always feel shame for how she had initially treated Mrs. Garrett.

"She didn't even shake my hand." Mrs. Garrett mocked whispered across the table to Jo's mother.

"Blair?" Rose seemed shocked. The young blonde had always been so well mannered.

"I was a fourteen year-old brat." She defended weakly.

" _Spoiled_ brat." Jo helpfully reminded.

"Spoiled brat." Blair agreed. "But, I love you Mrs. Garrett...and meeting you that day was one of the best things to ever happen to me...even if I didn't know it at the time." She leaned over and lovingly side-hugged her surrogate mother.

They were cheek to cheek as Mrs. Garrett turned and placed a tender kiss into golden locks, "Me too, Blair. Me too."

"Alright, enough of the mushy stuff." Jo playfully complained as she pulled Blair closer to her.

"This one hates displays of affection." Rose hitched her thumb towards her daughter.

"Tell me about it." Blair agreed.

"Hey." Jo objected.

Blair simply shrugged and gave the brunette a challenging look.

Rose's eyes darted between the two women. _Is Blair flirting with Jo?_

She couldn't quite tell. Blair had always been rather expressive with her feelings no matter who was on the receiving end, but the blonde had also always been so boy crazy.

Mrs. Garrett smiled lovingly at her girls. It was good to have at least half of them with her under one roof again.

"Oh, let me help clean up, Edna." Rose offered when Mrs. Garrett started picking up the dinner dishes.

"Need our help too, Mrs. G?" Jo pointed to herself and Blair.

"It's alright girls. We got it. Take a load off. It's been a long day." She patted Jo and Blair's arms before leaving the room with a handful of dishes, Rose not far behind her.

* * *

Jo nervously drummed an unused spoon against the dining table's surface.

"How did the talk with your mother go?"

Jo shrugged, her tapping of the spoon increased and the digits on her left hand joined the chorus.

"Remember when Natalie played the water glasses at that college party you hosted?" Blair randomly brought up the odd memory.

Jo simply nodded.

"It was after her dad passed."

"Uh huh." Jo nodded again, not quite sure where Blair was going with this conversation.

"We were there for her, but...it wasn't until someone who had experienced the same loss as her, like Mrs. Garrett, that she started to open up."

Jo tossed the spoon she had been making "music" with onto the middle of the table, "Is there a point to this story?"

Blair took in a calming breath, "Yes, I...I kept thinking about what you told me earlier. About not being ready to talk about everything that happened between you and Robert. Maybe...maybe the fact that it's us, and…"

"Spit it out, Blair."

"There's meetings on Monday and Thursday nights at the center where women who were in abusive relationships…"

"Forget it."

"You didn't even let me finish."

"Blair, I'm not going to the center where everybody knows you and then air out my dirty laundry to your little friend."

"Vic doesn't run the meeting. She works in the physical education department and…"

"I'll bet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

It irritated Jo that Blair was 'defending' _Miss Perfect,_ "It...nothing, okay. Look, Robert is out of my life now and I just...I need to focus on my career, my mother, getting myself back into a routine and I'll be fine. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." Jo sniped.

"Perfect." Blair haughtily retorted.

"So, what did you and _Vera_ talk about out there for so long?" Jo asked after several minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"Baseball." Blair was being short with Jo. Surely Detective Polniaczek knew Victoria's correct name.

Jo sighed. She had pissed Blair off. She didn't mean to. She knew the blonde was only trying to help, but...well, why did she have to push Jo's buttons all the time.

"So, what...she uh...show you how to pitch or somethin'?"

"Among other things."

Another frustrated sigh escaped the brunette, Blair sure could hold a grudge.

"All the years I've known you, you never once asked me about baseball. I mean, I could've taught you. No need for you to be out there catching your death with this cold weather."

"Other people know about sports too, Jo. Not just you."

"I know that. I mean...there are whole teams out there of people that know about sports just like me."

"Exactly."

"So, is she any good?"

"What?"

"At teaching you about baseball? Is she any good?"

"I suppose."

"Did you learn anything?"

"Yes. I know how to run the bases. What a ball is. What a strike is. A homerun."

"Hmmm."

"What?"

"Nothing, just...I tried to show you about field hockey once and you didn't really catch on."

Blair smiled. She remembered that day. She was too distracted with the way Jo looked in her short field hockey shorts and tight top to really pay attention to anything the brunette was saying.

"Earth to Blair." Jo waved a hand in front of the blonde.

"Sorry, I…" Blair shook her head, her cheeks reddened. Partially from embarrassment and partially from imagining Jo in her short field hockey shorts. "What were you saying?"

"I asked if you wanted to show me your moves out there?"

_Out there, in here...and everywhere, Jo Polniaczek._

"Or, is it only reserved for Valerie?"

Blair smirked as Jo once again botched Vic's name.

* * *

They were outside in Blair's backyard. Freezing. The sun had gone down hours ago, which also did not help with how cold it felt. Plus, now the only illumination they had was the poorly dimmed light from the street, Blair's equally dim porch light, and the soft lighting from the den.

 _I have to install some better lights out here for her._ Thought Jo.

It was also cold as hell. Jo once again blew into her non-gloved hands.

Blair chuckled, "We can go inside." She suggested when the brunette loudly burred.

"No. Now you said you wanted to show me your moves. Let's see what old Victoria taught ya."

"Alright." Blair shrugged as she brought the plastic bat up in order to swing at the Wiffle ball Jo was about to throw. Both items left behind courtesy of good ol' Vic.

"See, I already can tell she didn't teach you correctly." Jo pointed out Blair's floppy batting stance.

"What?" Blair was confused. Vic had said to hold up the bat and crouch down.

Jo dropped the plastic baseball in the bed of dirt covered snow near her feet and jogged towards Blair.

"May I?" She asked the blonde as she pointed behind Blair. The blonde nodded.

Jo lovingly wrapped her arms around Blair's waist and brought the blonde's body back against her own. Blair swallowed thickly.

"This okay?" The brunette once again made sure.

Another nod.

Jo's hands slowly traveled up Blair's sides, her fingers gingerly made a path up Blair's sweater, grazing the sides of the blonde's breasts. The blonde shivered, goosebumps formed underneath her heavy winter garment.

"I forgot you were ticklish." Jo whispered into Blair's neck when she felt the blonde squirm against her.

Blair tried to control her breathing as Jo's soft scent of eucalyptus and mint reached her senses.

The brunette's strong arms covered Blair's own as her hands finally reached the bat gripped tightly in the blonde's hands.

"You have to stand slightly upright…" Jo husked in Blair's ear as she pushed her bust firmly into Blair's back so the blonde would get in the right position. Blair gasped at the action.

"Like this?" She nervously asked Jo, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Perfect, Princess." Jo praised her in a low, raspy voice. She continued her 'teaching'. "Now, the bottom of the bat has to be in line with the height of your shoulders." Her hot breath just below Blair's ear caused another set of goosebumps to form. This time on the blonde's exposed neck.

"Are you cold?" Jo worriedly whispered.

Blair closed her eyes, "Nn...no." She could barely get out a sentence.

Jo smiled to herself, a flustered Blair was a sexy Blair.

"Now what?" Blair quietly asked.

"Keep your body tight." It was said with double intentions, they both knew it. Blair simply nodded her understanding.

"You good?" Jo asked. She felt hot all of a sudden.

Another nod from Blair as she didn't trust her vocal chords at the moment.

Jo walked back to her improvised pitching mound.

"Blair Warner is at bat, top of the ninth, the Yankees have two outs and are down by one. Warner has to hit this one out of the park Chuck if she wants to keep her team in the game." Jo pretended to be a baseball announcer.

Blair chuckled.

"And Polniaczek with the pitch. Oh, Warner connects. The crowd goes wild." Jo playfully imitated the cheers and jeers of a crowd of fans.

"Oh no Chuck, she's running the wrong way. She's running the wrong way." Jo ran towards the right, as Blair had meant to run the bases, but mistakenly ran towards third base instead of first.

Blair heard Jo and tried to turn towards first instead.

"Oh no you don't Princess." Jo playfully caught her by her midsection.

"Jooooo!" Blair joyfully squealed as the brunette swung her around in a circle.

Jo chuckled at the blonde's infectious laughter, "Well Chuck…" Jo started her fake announcer voice again, all the while still 'trapping' Blair.

"It looks like three hours in the freezing snow with her former little league coach, Victoria, _I don't know her last name_ , affected Warner's usually stellar performance."

Blair could only giggle uncontrollably as she tried to squirm from Jo's grip, causing both women to fall onto a heap in the snow.

"Ouch." Blair chuckled beneath Jo.

"You okay?" Jo worriedly asked as she pulled back only to find a huge smile plastered on the blonde's face.

Jo tenderly brushed back a few strands of unruly blonde locks from Blair's face, "I've always loved your smile."

Blair's giggles abruptly stopped at the unusually vulnerable statement.

Jo swallowed thickly, "Blair, I...I have to tell you something...I…"

Blair's eyes caught Jo's. She could so much pain and worry in them, but she could also see determination. Her Jo was still in there, somewhere, fighting to be heard again.

_And there's something else...I can't quite..._

Blair's thoughts were interrupted by the loud ringing of Jo's cell phone.

"I'm sorry, I gotta…" Jo trailed off as she pointed to her phone. Blair nodded as she saw the Caller ID read Captain Williams. Jo grunted as she lifted herself off of Blair. The brunette walked to the end of the yard to have a little privacy while she answered the call.

Blair on the other hand dropped her head back against the cold, dirty, sloshy snow and stared up at the moon. She let out an anxious sigh. The moment with Jo just now. It was confusing. For a minute there she felt...like...Jo was as into her as she was Jo. But, Jo was in such a vulnerable place right now. _You have to be there for her as a friend. Not try to make romantic moves on her. Jo's plate is full... don't add to it_. _Besides, Jo's not gay. Jo...Jo dates men. I'm just confusing things._ _She's always dated men._

Right after their very first meeting they went to pick up college guys. At Jo's suggestion. _Yeah, and you're 'straight' too, Blair._ She reminded herself. "Uuuggghhh!" She groaned loudly.

Jo's head snapped towards Blair. She furrowed her eyebrows at the weird noise that just emanated from her princess, "Yeah, thanks Cap. I'll uh...I'll be there first thing tomorrow...and I...I'll bring Blair."

Jo let out a sigh as she hung up with her Captain and dreadlingly walked back towards Blair.

The blonde noticed her best friend's demeanor and worriedly lifted herself up from the snow. She dusted off of the excess snow from her body. Old twigs and pieces of dead, crumpled leaves fell to the ground. The night air hit her soaked clothing, especially her back and butt, causing a chill to run through. Jo had never been more grateful as Blair's protruding nipples made an appearance.

"Is everything alright?" Blair worriedly asked.

"Uh…" Jo's attention was drawn back to Blair's face. "No, my...Robert filed an internal report against me and so I'm temporarily suspended till the investigation is over. I have to go in tomorrow and turn in my badge and gun."

"Jo, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."

Jo worriedly nodded, "There's one more thing."

"What?" Blair asked, concerned etched all over her face.

"Cap says Robert mentioned you in the report. You have to go down to the station with me and give your side of the story. After the investigation...if...Robert may want to retaliate at some point and bring criminal charges against you through the court. Blair, I'm...I'm so sorry I got you into this mess."

Blair grabbed Jo's hands and held them tightly, "We'll face this together, just like everything else we've had to face in the past. Robert doesn't scare me. No matter what happens Jo, I want you to know...I would protect you all over again. A thousand times. A million times. No matter the consequences. You are...I don't think you realize how special you are to me, Jo."

Tears gathered in Jo's eyes. She could only nod.

* * *

 **DV Quote:** _**"From a young age her life has been abnormal, she knows that. But so much is covered over in time now, the way leaves fall and cover a piece of earth, and eventually mingle with the soil. Things that happened to her then are buried in the earth of her body. She tries to be a good person. But deep down she knows she is a bad person, corrupted, wrong, and all her efforts to be right, to have the right opinions, to say the right things, these efforts only disguise what is buried inside her, the evil part of herself."**_

 _**Sally Rooney,** _ _**Normal People** _


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I don’t own the song featured in this chapter, Count on Me, by Cathy Heller, or any of its affiliates.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

**_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word_ **

**AN: I would like to thank Birograce for all of her help with this chapter. You helped me to pay attention to all those fine details that make the story flow better, provided wonderful suggestions which led to added scenes, helped me add the music player for the song in this chapter and overall kept me on my toes. Thank you so much!**

**She is an awesome writer and has two wonderful stories for you all to check out:** **_“Beauty and the Barbarian”_ ** **and** **_“She’s So High”_ **

**AN 2: There’s a song featured toward the end of this chapter, it is by Cathy Heller and is called “** **_Count on Me”._ ** **Please feel free to open the linked player above while reading that section. I was told that the player, while in the AO3 site, only plays a small portion of the song, so sometimes it is best to open it in a separate window.**

* * *

Jo sat in Dani’s darkened living room. Her gaze focused on the half filled beer bottle that sat in front of her on the edge of Dani’s coffee table. Small droplets of condensation had formed on the outside and were slowly making their way onto the table’s surface. As the day’s events continued to flood her mind, she shook her head and let out a frustrated sigh. A small tear escaped her eyes, mimicking the bottle’s sweating. She angrily wiped her cheek. 

_Earlier that day_

Jo furiously slammed shut one of the dresser drawers in Dani’s guest room. She was looking for her favorite pair of socks. She repeated the cycle a few more times, causing a mess of the clothing filled drawers Blair had neatly organized the day before. 

She stomped towards the empty suitcases inside the walk-in closet hoping to find the socks. Perhaps they had been missed by the blonde the day before. She knelt and started frantically looking through the hidden pockets, zipping and unzipping all the compartment's. “Damn it!” she exclaimed, violently kicking the last empty case as she stood and exited the room in a huff.

She found her way to Dani’s master bedroom. “Why’d you unpack my stuff?”

Blair, who was putting the finishing touches on her make-up, was taken aback by Jo’s current hostility. She turned to meet the brunette’s angry gaze. “I...you hadn’t unpacked for days, I thought…”

“Don’t think so much, blondie!”

Blair furrowed her eyebrows, her own anger just below the surface. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you this morning, but…”

“Your what’s wrong with me, Blair! I never asked you to unpack! I have a house you know. I...I’m not...this isn’t permanent.”

There was the slightest crack in Jo’s voice. Anyone else wouldn’t have caught it, but Blair did. She knew this was Jo being scared. When she was scared she lashed out. She decided to dial back her own attitude and be there for her friend. “I know,” she quietly replied.

“Good,” Jo sighed. Blair simply nodded.

“And would ya’ get a move on? I’m gonna be late.” 

“I’m almost done, your Captain didn’t advise a time, he simply…”

“Blair,” came the exasperated reprimand. Her mother and Blair had been taking forever to get ready this morning. “He said early. By the time we drive into the city, leave my mother and get to the station, will it be early?” she questioned, not waiting for an answer. “No.”

“Okay. Okay.” The blonde quickly put away her make-up. She stood and checked her reflection one last time.

Despite her urgency to leave, Jo couldn’t help but watch as Blair fluffled her blonde locks and then smoothed down her cream colored skirt and grey sweater. Her senses filled with Blair’s expensive perfume. Her eyes traveled down to the blonde’s matching high-heeled grey boots, an added bonus to the blonde’s already regal elegance.

“You ready?” Blair turned towards Jo, a smirk on her lips as she caught Jo’s wandering eye. 

Jo shook her head and tried miserably to hide the smile on her lips. “I’ve been ready, Farrah.”

Blair giggled as she grabbed Jo’s hands and brought the burnette closer to her. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Jo nodded as she tried to pull her hands away from Blair’s and head out for the day. They were late.

Blair held on tightly. “Hey,” she whispered. Jo’s hands were shaking. She shamefully dropped her gaze. 

“Hey,” Blair repeated as she lovingly lifted Jo’s face to meet her eyes. “No matter what happens today, I’ll be here...today and every day after that,” she tenderly brushed back Jo’s bangs. “You know that, don’t you?” 

Jo swallowed thickly and simply nodded. She couldn’t get emotional today. There was no room to be soft. She had to have her walls up at the station. She knew Robert and she knew he wouldn’t be far away. He hadn’t seen her in days. He would be around. Protective Order be damned, he would be around.

She withdrew her hands from Blair’s. “We have to go.” She walked out of the room and left a worried Blair behind.

* * *

The ride into the city had been uncomfortable, to say the least. Rose had grilled Jo the entire time…

_“Are you giving up the apartment?_

_You can’t stay at Dani’s forever. The young woman has her own life._

_And you certainly can’t impose on Blair. Poor thing hasn’t gone to work ever since this happened…”_

Blair sat in the passenger’s seat and worriedly watched Jo’s body language out of the corner of her eye. She was sure Rose’s barrage of questions and comments from the back seat were not helping ease the brunette’s already agitated state. 

Jo’s hands firmly gripped the steering wheel as they came into some morning rush hour traffic. 

_"What will you do if they fire you over this?_

_That man is a wrecking ball. That’s what he is._

_Just a bad chapter in your life that you have to close._

_I don’t know why they’re suspending you. Lord knows what lies he told. It’s sickening._

_How many poor victims has he done this to?”_

Jo's angry fist slammed down on the dashboard, effectively stopping her mother’s tirade. Blair jumped at the sudden outburst. 

Luckily, Rose took the _‘_ subtle _’_ hint and kept her mouth shut for the rest of the drive. Blair remained unusually quiet as well. She was extremely worried for Jo. Although the brunette had always had a reputation for being ‘aggressive’, Blair had never felt scared in Jo’s presence. It was actually the opposite, she had always felt safe. In their adolescence, Jo was the protector of the group. Blair felt she could be herself around the brunette, and for us much as Jo would make a big deal about Blair’s spoiled ways, the brunette would usually cater to her. Now all of a sudden they seemed to have changed roles. It felt foreign to her. She knew it was selfish, but she missed Jo being her ‘knight in shining armor’.

As her thoughts ran away with her, she hadn’t noticed they had made it to the precinct after dropping Rose off at her apartment.

“We’re here,” came the mumbled whisper from Jo as she switched off the ignition of Blair’s car.

“It’s going to be alright, Jo.” Blair flashed a small smile.

“I know.” Jo returned it. “You ready?” She hooked her thumb towards the station. Blair took in a calming breath and then nodded. 

“Come on.” As they walked side by side, Jo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What?” Blair asked with a hint of amusement.

“Nothing, it’s just...before you met me I don’t think you had ever seen the inside of a police station, and now…”

“I’ve been thrown in jail twice because of you...and today may be number three,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Jo grabbed the blonde’s wrist and turned her so their gazes met. “If it’s any consolation...” 

Blair’s breath hitched as Jo’s angry stare from earlier was replaced by one filled with love. “...you are the prettiest jailbird I’ve ever seen,” she whispered.

They shared a knowing smile.

* * *

As they walked in, Jo’s earlier tension started to dissipate. Her colleagues greeted her with the same reverence as usual. No awkward whispers or murmurs met her ears and the curious stares directed her way seemed to be more so over the beautiful blonde in her company, then any rumors about her and Robert.

“Detective Polniaczek,” a young beat cop greeted on his way out the door. Jo nodded back in acknowledgement.

Moments later, as soon as she stepped onto her department’s floor, she was rushed by Officer Donaldson. “Oh, Detective Polniaczek, I have some reports I need you to sign off on...and some young woman is here, says she needs to talk to you about Lily Muniz. She says she’ll only speak with you.” 

“Uh, Donaldson, I’m not…”

“Polniaczek.” Captain Williams motioned from his office door. He knew about the stranger that had been coming to the precinct for the last three days. She insisted she would only speak with Jo about a particular case. It involved a four-year-old whose mother’s boyfriend allegedly molested her while the mother was out getting high. Unfortunately, rules were rules and he couldn’t let Jo speak to anyone until after the internal investigation Robert started was fully closed.

“Donaldson, Polniaczek is off duty for the foreseeable future. Let the young woman know she can speak with Magda or leave her contact info,” he ordered. 

Donaldson nodded towards her Captain. Jo gave her an apologetic look.

“Polniaczek,” her Captain repeated. 

“Be right there,” she advised and then turned towards Blair. “I have to…”

“You can’t leave me alone,” Blair worriedly stated. 

“I got a lot on my plate today, Blair. Go with one of the detectives on this stupid investigation and don’t say anything till our lawyer gets here. Got it?” 

Blair nodded warily.

Jo huffed. Why was Blair giving her that wounded puppy look? The woman graduated from law school for goodness sake. Surely she could handle a simple statement.

“Chris?” Jo called over another fellow Detective when Blair continued to pout. “She’s supposed to be questioned in…”

Chris nodded, he had heard what had gone down between Robert and Jo. His money was on Jo.

“Our lawyer should be here soon, so don’t…”

Chris nodded again. He wouldn’t let anything shady go down. 

“Right this way, miss,” he gallantly stuck out his arm for Blair to take. 

The blonde flirtily giggled and then preened herself before hooking her arm through Chris’ and walking off to one of the interrogation rooms. Jo shook her head and rolled her eyes.

* * *

Jo sat in an interrogation room of her own. She let out a chuckle when her eyes roved around and she noticed that Blair’s comparison from a few days ago to a small, dark, dingy room wasn’t that far off.

She nervously cracked her knuckles one at a time as her right leg bounced up and down. Her Captain had asked for her gun and her badge less than thirty minutes ago. 

_Just another thing Robert stripped from me._ She thought as she passed a tired hand over her face.

She looked at her watch yet again, only a minute had passed from the last time she checked. She absentmindedly started to trace imaginary shapes along old worn scratch marks atop the table's cool surface. 

An anxious breath escaped her when she heard the heavy metal door to the room squeak open.

“Hi Detective Polniaczek.”

Jo nodded at the stranger. “I thought this was an internal investigation?” she swallowed thickly. She didn’t like when things changed at the last minute.

The unknown woman smiled at the straightforward brunette. “Oh, it is. It’s just, well, I’m on the board of directors for these types of cases. I'm from a neighboring precinct. Due to the conflict of interest, they usually don’t allow for these types of investigations to be conducted by your station’s peers.”

Jo nodded once again. Her throat felt dry all of a sudden.

“My name is Gloria Santos, by the way.” The woman flashed a smile as she stuck out her hand for Jo to shake.

“Joanna Polniaczek.” Jo returned the handshake and flashed her own smile. Her’s was a bit more unsure. “But, you knew that because of the whole…” she nervously trailed off as she pointed to the woman’s file, eliciting another smile from the woman.

“Miss Polniaczek, I can assure you…”

“Jo. You can call me Jo.” She pulled at the collar of her dress shirt. Was it hot in here all of a sudden?

“Alright, Jo. Let’s get started, shall we?”

"Sure," Jo nodded.

“How this work is that I’ll read the allegations Mr. Gray placed in his complaint, then you can give me your turn of events. From there I’ll have you sign off on some paperwork and be out of your hair.”

Jo nodded.

“Jo, I always have to ask before we get started, do you have a lawyer?”

Jo nodded again. Her throat was clamped shut and she couldn’t find her voice.

“Okay,” she rummaged through her papers looking for the information. “Does he or she already have a counter complaint, or an initial complaint to which Mr. Gray has to respond?”

“Um, yeah...I...I think so. The uh, complaint. Initial… an initial complaint.” Jo stuttered. 

“Okay, then this won’t take long. I just need his or her information to request your original statement. If I can get it sent to me in the next few minutes, I’ll jot everything down, then have you or your lawyer review and sign off.”

“Okay, sure.” Jo gave another nervous nod as she reached for the pen and paper that was being passed to her by Ms. Santos. 

The woman across from the nervous brunette tried to give her another reassuring smile. She had been doing this job for years. She had sat with Mr. Gray a few days ago, watching Jo’s body language compared to Robert’s, she was already getting a good idea of how this investigation might turn out.

Once Jo wrote down the information, she handed everything back to Ms. Santos. "Can I get some water?" Jo tugged at her collar again. 

Gloria nodded at the request as she left the room to contact Jo’s lawyer. 

About fifteen minutes later she returned to the interrogation room, bottled water in hand. She found Jo sitting with her head in her hands. Her eyes were staring at the table, but they weren't really focused. The brunette's mind was definitely somewhere else as she hadn't even noticed Gloria was back in the room. 

“Joanna Polniaczek,” she said with a slight teasing tone. Jo looked up slightly confused at the playfulness in Ms. Santos’ voice and body. The woman had one of her hands on her hip, the other held what Jo assumed was her water.

Gloria wore a smirk. “You didn’t tell me your lawyer was in the building.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just…”

“Nervous?” Gloria sat down as a chuckle escaped her.

Jo nodded. “Yeah.”

“Don’t be.” She handed Jo her water.

“Okay.” Jo's timid voice gave her away. _Easy for her to say._

Gloria cleared her throat, her demeanor turning a bit more serious again. Now came the hard part. Reviewing the allegations. 

“This next part is a little tougher. I’ll read through Mr. Gray’s allegations on the complaint. I’ll read your statement to the attorney on your original complaint for the court, then you just let me know if anything sounds off, or if I am missing anything, deal?"

Jo nodded again. Gloria gave her another reassuring smile.

“Okay." Gloria exhaled. She hated this part. "Mr. Gray alleges that he suffered emotional and mental stress at your hands due to you constantly exerting your higher rank at work. You would often demean him in front of co-workers, family, and friends by pointing out that he had no place to live. He says you would often kick him out of the apartment you shared, even though you had a verbal agreement and he helped to pay rent.” Gloria ticked off line after line. It read like a laundry list of lies. With each one, Jo would squeeze the life out of her now empty bottle of water.

“He alleges that you were unfaithful throughout your relationship, but would excuse your infidelity by saying that it didn’t count because it was with other women and not men. Lastly, he fears for his life…”

Jo let out an incredulous chuckle at the last statement as she angrily crossed her arms.

Gloria hesitated slightly at Jo’s reaction, but quickly recovered. “...because he feels that you staged your argument the night of December 25th, when Blair Warner showed up at your apartment and struck him on the back of the head with a lamp. In Miss Warner's initial statement, she claimed that it was to defend you from attempted rape.” 

Jo winced at the use of the word ‘rape’. Ms. Santos didn’t notice as she continued reading. “He denies this allegation and advises that you wanted Miss Warner to find you at home in that position to ruin his reputation, his life, and his career. He feels that this all stems from an infidelity he committed a few months into your relationship. You were very hurt by him cheating on you and decided to plot revenge against him, which came to fruition the night of December 25th. Mr. Gray states that he had to receive medical attention for the injuries caused by Miss Warner and has provided the medical report and pictures of the crime scene as evidence.” 

Ms. Santos pushed the report and pictures towards Jo for her to review. The brunette’s stare never left Ms. Santos’ as she avoided looking at the photos. Jo felt bile in her throat as she remembered the many times Robert pinned her down and forced her to have sex with him.

Gloria awkwardly cleared her throat and returned her sight back to Robert’s complaint. “He alleges,” she continued, “that you gave Miss Warner a key to your apartment months ago, started avoiding her calls, as well as that of friends and family, in order to put your plan of ruining his reputation into action.”

Jo breaths quickened and her nostrils flared as Ms. Santos continued. 

“He says the night of the incident, you purposefully left work in a rush so that Miss Warner would be worried about you. You then went home and seduced him into a night of passion, as was common for you both on any given day. He alleges that you would often suggest you both engage in rough sexual intercourse, sometimes using restraints, which he feels was all a ruse that helped lead up to the evening of December the 25th, so that when Miss Warner walked in to find the apartment in disarray and you being held down by Mr. Gray, she would feel your life was in imminent danger and injure Mr. Gray because of it.”

 _God, please let this day be over. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe._ Beads of sweat rolled down Jo’s forehead as she tried to calm her breathing.

Ms. Santos shuffled some papers around. “So I’ll read your complaint now and in the end we will just make sure that all his concerns are being addressed so that if anything is missing, we can have your lawyer add some final details to your statement, okay?”

“His concerns?” Jo bitterly bit back.

“My apologies," Gloria blushed deeply. "Poor choice of words on my part,” she amended, genuine remorse etched on her face.

"Ready?" Gloria asked, her voice soft. 

Jo shrugged. 

"Okay, in your statement to the police you advised that on December 25th Mr. Gray came looking for you at the station where you are both employed, but that he was not scheduled to work that evening." 

Jo nodded in agreement. Gloria continued. "While you were in the breakroom grabbing cups for your friends and family that had come to visit you for the holiday, Mr. Gray came in and threatened you by advising you to go home. You stated that he used disparaging language, but could not recall the exact words at the time of filing the report."

Gloria paused and waited for Jo to acknowledge her statement as correct, or interject if anything was inaccurate. The quiet detective simply nodded as she uncrossed her arms and went back to nervously fiddling with her empty water bottle while Gloria read on. 

"He pushed you into the counter of the break room which caused severe bruising to your wrist. It was black and blue, swollen, and you heard it crack when you hit the counter. You did not seek treatment at a medical facility. Is that correct?"

Jo gave her another modest nod. 

Gloria continued with the evening's events. "Are these pictures of your injuries as described in this statement?" She slid several photos across the table for Jo to look at.

Her water bottle had fallen to the floor, so now she was anxiously snapping her watch's wristband. "Yes," came her whispered response; her tone held embarrassment and shame. 

Gloria quickly picked up the photos when she noticed how distressed they were making Jo feel. She continued reading the rest of Jo’s statement. The brunette would nod after each declaration. 

"Let's move on to when he threw you on the bed."

"I need a break," Jo's voice cracked. 

"Of course." Gloria's voice was filled with compassion. 

Jo abruptly stood to get the hell out of the room. She felt like the walls were closing in on her. She swung open the heavy door and took in an opened mouth breath. She once again pulled at the collar of her shirt. She couldn't breathe up here. She needed air. She decided to forego the elevators and ran downstairs to the first floor bathrooms. Jo pushed the ladies' room door open so roughly that it banged loudly against the side wall.

As the door slowly closed behind her, so did the rest of the world as the chitter-chatter and clanging noises from the passersby quieted. She stood near the entrance and just steadied herself. She was thankful that she seemed to be the only one in here for the time being. 

_Drip, drip, drip…….drip_

_Drip, drip, drip…….drip_

_Drip, drip, drip…….drip_

The noise from a leaky faucet made its way to her ears.

 _That's probably costing us a small fortune every month in our water bill,_ she thought.

That thought brought on others. _I could fix it no problem._

And that thought brought back some unhappy memories. She closed her eyes and willed them away.

" _Give me the goddamn wrench you dyke!" He snatched it from her grasp. She flinched at the action._

_Robert chuckled menacingly. "I'm not going to hit you with it, you fuckin' idiot. Now move. Let me see." He shoved her out of the way and kneeled to check the leaky pipe under the kitchen sink._

_"Look at that, you already fixed it." He angrily licked his lips as he stood back up. "How many times do I have to remind you who the man around here is?" He slapped her. "Huh, Jo?" He repeated the slap, only heavier this time. "How many?" He took off his belt._

_"Please don't," she begged._

_"Get your ass to bed."_

_She paused slightly because it was still daylight out, plus he was blocking her from exiting the kitchen._

_"Get to bed!" He grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the hall._

_"She's fuckin' hard of hearing now too," she heard him mutter as she walked towards her room._

Jo’s eyes opened. Her vision was blurred due to the fresh batch of tears gathered in them. She let out an exhausted sigh and made her way to turn on one of the faucets to splash her face. She really had to get back and finish her damn statement. The sooner the better. She needed this day to end. 

“Tough day, sweetie?”

Jo stiffened at the voice behind her. She slowly straightened her back and caught Robert’s reflection behind her in the bathroom's run down mirror.

“This is the women’s bathroom," she said, her voice surprisingly secure.

“Then why are you in it...you dyke?”

“I don’t have time for this,” she muttered and started to walk away.

He roughly grabbed her by the arms. On instinct she flinched and closed her eyes. He realized he was being too aggressive, this was not the way to convince her.

"I’m sorry," he soothingly whispered in her ear. “Please, Jo. I’m sorry. Please," he quietly begged as he placed small kisses on her cheek and temple.

“Please let me go," came her whimpered supplication.

“No, Jo. No. I love you. I love you. I’m sorry. Let me make it better. Please, just let me make it better.”

Another whimpered cry escaped Jo.

“I can make it better, baby. I can. I swear it. I...I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ll...I’ll make it better, I promise. I...I can drop the internal investigation, that way Blair won’t be bothered ever again and...you’ll have your job still. I will too. It’ll be like before. Please, baby. Please let me make it better.”

“You're lying,” Jo quietly cried.

“I'm not. I promise. Please, Jo. Please. It can be like how it was at the beginning. Just...you have to listen to me baby. You...you have to be good.”

“I’m not your child!" Jo tried to escape his grasp with renewed confidence.

He grabbed her tighter. “Damn it, Jo! Will you just…”

Before Robert could continue a fellow officer walked into the bathroom. “Everything alright in here?”

Robert immediately let go of Jo’s arms, the brunette soothingly rubbed them. 

Never once meeting the female officer's gaze, Jo nodded towards her then made her way out of the bathroom.

"This is the women's bathroom, Officer Gray," the female officer warned. 

“Excuse me.” Robert lowered his head and walked out. 

The officer decided to follow him to make sure he actually left the precinct instead of after Jo.

* * *

Jo practically ran back into the interrogation room where a surprised Gloria jumped at the brunette’s hasty re-entry.

“Sorry,” Jo mumbled as she sat back down.

Gloria nodded her acknowledgement of the apology and picked up where she left off. “Now, after he threw you on the bed, what happened?”

“You know, I actually don’t remember after that. It’s all a little hazy.”

“Okay, I uh…” Gloria looked through her notes, eyebrows furrowed.

“I told my Captain and Magda the same thing when the report was made and I told my lawyer the same thing at his office when he took my case,” Jo confirmed.

Gloria read between the lines and knew that this interview was over. She verified everything one last time and had Jo’s lawyer review the final statement before Jo signed off. 

As Gloria gathered her papers, Jo hesitantly spoke. “Is uh…”

Gloria looked up to find the brunette anxiously pulling at the cuffs of her shirt.

“The stuff that Robert said, about me liking women...is that...did Blair hear that part?”

Gloria shook her head. “Robert didn’t file an investigation against Blair, only you. Blair is simply a party to his complaint since he mentioned her in it. We only spoke with her about the turn of events from when she showed up at your apartment.”

Jo nodded, slightly relieved.

“Any other questions for me?” Gloria asked as she gently tapped the papers in her folder against the table, to straighten them.

“How uh...long does it take to hear back on your final determination?”

“Now I’m going to sound very textbook,” Gloria smiled softly. “It’s hard to really put a timeframe on it. There are many factors I have to review and take into consideration, but on average, in these types of cases and from what I’ve seen, I think that maybe within a month or so I can have my complete report out to everyone.”

Jo nodded again, an unconvincing smile on her lips.

“It was nice meeting you, Jo,” Gloria stood to leave.

“You too,” the brunette stated.

As soon as the door closed behind Gloria, Jo let out an uneasy breath as she ran anxious fingers through her hair.

* * *

Blair was in one of the other interrogation rooms, sipping a hot cocoa and flirting with Detective Wells when Jo walked in.

“Oh, hey Polniaczek. Just keeping an eye on your friend here,” Detective Wells advised. His chair was just about a foot away from Blair’s, his right leg perched atop of the seat of the chair as he used his knee to support his arm, effectively allowing him to lean his face over and practically touch Blair’s. His ‘junk’ on full display as it bulged through his pants.

“Thanks,” came Jo’s short reply. “Can I have a minute?”

“Uh, yeah. ‘Course,” Wells stated as he winked at Blair and then tipped an invisible hat towards the seemingly angry brunette.

“Schmuck!” Jo muttered when the door closed shut behind him.

Blair simply grinned. “You are broody today.”

“He’s practically got his dick in your face and your calling me out on my ‘broodiness’?”

Blair furrowed her brow at Jo’s unusual use of the vulgar word. Sure, the brunette was probably the least eloquent of their bunch, but Jo had never used that type of language in front of her.

“You done?" Jo asked, her patience non-existent.

Blair quietly nodded. 

“Good. Let’s go.” Jo motioned for the blonde to finish up her cocoa and grab her purse so they could get out of there.

As they made it to the parking lot, Jo heard someone calling her name. “Polniaczek?”

Jo angrily bit her tongue as Officer Price jogged over to her. He was one of Robert’s buddies.

“What do you want, Price?”

He menacingly smirked. “What, no hello for your fellow officer?”

Jo rolled her eyes and turned to open the driver's side door to Blair’s Porsche.

“What’s the rush, Polniaczek?” He placed his hand on the window and pushed the car door closed again. “Nice car by the way. The little Mrs’ letting you take it out today?”

Jo anxiously looked around at the insinuation.

Blair furrowed her eyebrows and made her way to the driver’s side. She didn’t like this man’s hostile body language towards Jo.

Price’s eyes took in the hot blonde that now stood a few feet from Jo. The brunette turned her head to see what this fool was staring at with such interest.

“I gotta give it to ya, Polniaczek, if you’re going to lie on my pal, Robert, it sure as hell is for a ‘good cause’.” He continued to stare wantingly at Blair. 

“Hey!” Jo blocked his line of sight. “You so much as breathe in her direction…”

Price chuckled menacingly. “What? You’ll lie on me like you did Robert?”

Jo let out an incredulous chuckle of her own as she shook her head. “Believe what you want, Price. I’ve gotta go...” she leaned in so only he could hear her, “...can’t leave my ‘good cause’ waiting. Know what I mean, pal?” 

Jo stepped back from his personal space and motioned with her head for him to get lost. He looked her up and down one last time before making a strange noise and then spitting a huge wad of saliva just a few inches from Jo’s feet. She didn’t flinch.

 _And this is why I like women._ She thought to herself. 

“Have a good day….Detective.” Officer Price chuckled to himself as he walked away. 

Jo continued to stare straight ahead as Blair got into the passenger side. Jo was pissed. She closed her eyes and took in a calming breath. “Yup, definitely why I prefer women,” she muttered to herself before climbing into the driver’s seat.

As Jo was about to put the key in the ignition, Blair leaned across the center console and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. 

Jo looked at her questioningly, caught off guard, but Blair just shrugged.

“You handled that well,” she praised the brunette. “I know he made you mad.”

“Yeah, well… he’s a dick,” Jo brushed it off. Blair gave her a sympathetic smile as they drove off. 

* * *

The car ride home was no better than the one they took coming into the city. Jo cursed up a storm and flipped off inconsiderate drivers the entire time. Blair frettingly watched Jo out of the corner of her eye. This was so unlike the brunette. She couldn’t imagine how difficult it was for Jo to once again have to talk about what happened to her at the hands of that idiot, Robert. Not to mention the tension filled exchange the brunette had with Officer Price. Blair didn’t hear much, and was completely dismissed when she questioned Jo about it. She hoped they could get home soon and the brunette could relax a little. Perhaps after a nice shower and a hot meal Jo would start to feel better.

“I need to stop at the hardware store,” she mumbled toward Blair as she flicked on the turning signal.

“The hardware store? Whatever for?” Blair questioned.

“The lights in that backyard of yours are crap. I’m going to install some new ones.”

“Jo, please. It’s not necessary. We’ve both had a rough day and…”

Jo flashed an angry look towards the blonde. “ _You’ve_ had a rough day?” 

Blair swallowed thickly. “No, I…” she started, her voice meek.

Jo cut her off. “I think if anyone has had a rough day and should be tired, it’s me. And I’m not. So, I’m getting the goddamn lights and we’re putting them up.” She didn’t wait for the blonde’s approval as she continued her route towards the hardware store. 

“Don’t know what you’re bitchin’ about, I’m the one puttin’ them up,” she muttered crisply.

Tears gathered in Blair’s eyes. She tightened her fist, turned her head towards the passenger side window, and held back her tears. She was not a crier.

* * *

Jo wheeled the store cart around as she searched for Blair. They had entered the hardware store together, but at some point the blonde advised Jo she was going to be in the garden section while Jo went about picking up the necessary supplies to change out Blair’s yard lights for ‘better’ ones.

As Jo rounded the corner of one of the aisles, she spotted the beautiful blonde reading the back of a packet of seeds. Jo smiled as Blair picked up pack after pack, read the instructions and then made a face before placing them back on the shelf. 

_She’s so beautiful and caring and I’ve been a real jerk to her today._ She let out a disappointed sigh. She knew she had displayed despicable behavior towards Blair this morning. She licked her lips and carefully walked up to the preoccupied blonde. “Ready to go?” She whispered.

Blair turned her head in surprise. Jo seemed to be calm again, to be her Jo again. She simply nodded, afraid to ‘poke the bear’, so to speak. They made their way to the checkout stand and Jo paid for the lights; Blair dared not argue about the brunette spending her money. They made it home without any further contention. Both of them were now in Blair’s backyard, Mrs. Garrett joined them as it was a nice cool afternoon. She was tired of being cooped up in Blair’s room all day.

Blair held one of the light fixtures in place, while Jo measured it with the level before marking it to be permanently screwed on.

“That sounds great, Mrs. Garrett.” Blair was more focused on her conversation with the older woman, than on being Jo’s helper.

Jo rolled her eyes when once again she had to straighten the fixture and re-position Blair’s hands to grip the metal backing. “Would ya pay attention?” she lightly chastised.

Blair huffed in annoyance, firmly gripped the sides and stared Jo down. “Like this, boss?” She plastered on a fake smile. She was being petty and condescending, she knew it, but she didn’t care. Jo had been absolutely terrible to her today. The brunette didn’t even ask her how her statement went at the precinct. Jo always worried about her, and today, nothing.

Jo gave her an equally hard stare. “You said you wanted to help, so help.” She mimicked Blair’s plastic smile.

Blair decided to ignore the brunette and looked back toward Mrs. Garrett, her eyes the size of saucers. Mrs. Garrett chuckled before she mouthed, _‘She’s having a bad day. It’ll be okay,’_ before giving Blair a wink. 

As Mrs. Garrett and Blair continued their conversation, Jo looked around her supplies for a carpenter’s pencil. After a few minutes, she realized she hadn’t thought of picking one up, so she would have to mark the screw holes with a nail. 

She grabbed a pretty thick nail, as the walls to Blair’s home were pure block concrete, and her hammer. 

She held the nail up and swung the hammer. Blair was once again not paying attention and Jo missed the nail and got her thumb. 

“GODDAMN IT, BLAIR!” she yelled out in excruciating pain. 

Mrs. Garrett helplessly looked on as a trainwreck unfolded before her. As soon as Jo yelled, Blair flinched away from her and practically melted into the wall behind her. The heavy light fixture the blonde had been holding came crashing down on the back porch and the front glass that held the bulb shattered in pieces. 

Jo was breathing heavily, her eyebrows furrowed as she sadly looked at Blair. The blonde’s eyes were filled with fear, her head turned slightly away from Jo and her hands opened palm out, held up between her and Jo’s bodies. A whimper escaped the blonde.

“You think I would hit you?” Jo’s voice cracked.

Blair swallowed thickly, her own breathing a bit sporadic, her hands shaking in front of her.

“I would never…” Jo trailed off. Saying she would never hit Blair was a lie, because she had struck the blonde when they were teenagers. 

Blair lowered her eyesight for a tenth-of-a-second, then back to Jo’s face. 

Jo realized the hammer was still in her hand and without tearing her gaze away from Blair, she threw the hammer onto the patio table. The heavy tool came down with a clatter as it landed on several other tools Jo had spread out all over the table’s surface.

“You know, Blair...I don’t need this.” She motioned to herself. “I have a home and, before you decided to meddle in my life, a job.”

“Jo.” Mrs. Garrett went up to the brunette and softly placed her hands on Jo’s upper arm.

“No, Mrs. Garrett!” She angrily shrugged her off. “If she’s so scared of me, I’m going home, _my home._ Tonight.” 

Tears gathered in Blair’s eyes, but no words came.

“That’s what I thought,” Jo sadly muttered as she angrily straightened her shirt and walked towards the back gate.

“JO!? JO!?” Mrs. Garrett yelled after her in vain. She turned worriedly towards Blair, a single tear escaped the blonde’s golden brown eyes.

“I have to…” Blair tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, “...clean up this mess.” She absentmindedly looked at the floor.

“Blair.” Mrs. Garrett knelt next to the blonde, who was already on the floor picking up the shards of glass. She gently grabbed Blair’s hands. “I’ll clean up, why don’t you...go upstairs and lie down for awhile?”

“That’s uh...that’s a good idea, Mrs. Garrett.” She quickly made her way inside. As soon as she made it past the kitchen’s swinging door, she brought her hand up to her mouth in order to tamp down a sob.

A worried Mrs. Garrett shook her head, at a loss for what to do, her gaze torn between the directions in which each girl had fled.

* * *

Jo had been at Dani’s for about ten minutes. She was furiously pacing the expanse of the young girl’s foyer and hallway, every so often she’d mutter angrily to herself. As she walked past the stairs in the living room, her eyes drifted to the coffee table just a few feet away. There was a beer bottle on it. She looked down at the one in her hand. Jo had taken them out of Dani’s fridge as soon as she had come in from Blair’s. She was going to drink them, pack, then get home. Either Mrs. Garrett would drive her, or she’d take a taxi, or an Uber, or…

“AAAAHHHHHHHHH!” She violently hurled the bottle in her hand across the room. It exploded with a bang against the far wall behind the TV, causing glass to shatter everywhere. Jo watched as a huge spatter stain of liquid continued to expand. She was transfixed as the alcohol slowly streaked down Dani’s pale blue wall.

* * *

Mrs. Garrett burrowed further into her coat. She stood outside, at the end of Blair’s driveway, casting her eyes towards Dani’s place once more. The lights were completely out, including the ones in front of the garage. Looking at her watch, the redhead noted that it had been a little over three hours since Jo and Blair had their blowout. Jo had advised she was going home tonight. Mrs. Garrett had at least expected the brunette to call if she decided to go through with it. She let out a concerned sigh and returned to Blair’s place.

Hanging her coat in the living room closet, she walked toward the kitchen to make herself some tea. The older woman chuckled when she reached for the tea kettle. Blair kept it in the same cabinet as she did at home, the one on the top right of the oven. Come to think of it, she smiled to herself, anytime she would visit the ‘girls’, they all kept their kitchen utensils exactly how Mrs. Garrett kept them. The redhead supposed years of living under her roof rubbed off on them. Another anxious sigh escaped her as she filled the kettle with water and turned on the stove top. Jo was hurting and she didn’t know what to do. 

_And here I thought it was harder when they were younger._

The kettle’s whistle shook her out of her musings. She grabbed two mugs, also held in the same place she held her own at home, and filled them just below the brim. She dropped one bag of tea in each, adding just a little sugar to her’s and some honey to Blair’s. As they steeped, she knowingly walked to the pantry and took out one of Blair’s serving trays. After placing the mugs, some napkins, and two spoons onto the tray, she made her way upstairs to the blonde’s master bedroom.

* * *

A light knock alerted Blair to someone else’s presence. She looked up to find Mrs. Garrett giving her a concerned smile.

“Hi Mrs. Garrett,” she whispered.

“Hey, Blair,” she stated in her usual cheerful tone as she came in, placed the tray on a nearby dresser, and made her way to sit with the blonde on the bed. 

_She must’ve changed._ Mrs. Garrett thought as she took in Blair’s light blue, worn jeans, white ankle socks, and pastel pink sweater top. It wasn’t terribly out of character for the blonde to make a wardrobe change, but definitely for her to be wearing this type of relaxed outfit.

“What are you thinking about?” The older woman lovingly patted Blair’s jean clad thighs.

Blair shrugged.

Mrs. Garrett worriedly bit her lip. "What's going on in that head of yours?" she tenderly whispered.

Looking apprehensively towards Mrs. Garrett, Blair replied, "I shouldn't have flinched."

Mrs. Garrett furrowed her eyebrows. “You were afraid, it’s a natural reaction.”

“And now Jo’s probably halfway to Manhattan and that jerk, Robert, is still out there.”

“Blair…”

“You don’t understand, Mrs. Garrett. Jo told me. She _told_ me I had to be patient with her. That she was going through a lot and...that sometimes she was going to lash out...and I promised. I...I let her down. And not only today…” Blair shook her head. “I mean, what kind of a best friend doesn’t know the person she cares about most in the world is being hurt?” The blonde stood abruptly and began to pace in front of Mrs. Garrett. 

“For months I felt like something was off. Months, Mrs. Garrett.” She shamefully looked towards the older woman.

“Blair, Robert’s behavior is not your fault, just like it isn’t Jo’s fault. And Jo’s behavior isn’t your fault, nor is your reaction to it. Yes, something terrible happened to Jo. I won’t take that away from her, but...she needs help. She needs a professional to help her understand why she’s lashing out, not just warn you that she may do it and expect you to be her ‘punching bag’.”

Blair made a ‘really’ face and Mrs. Garrett chuckled. “Okay, maybe I could’ve used a better comparison, but you know what I mean.” She reached out for Blair’s arm and gently guided her back to the bed.

Blair let out a worried sigh. “Did she leave?”

“I’m not sure,” Mrs. Garrett answered. “I’ve been checking all night. Dani’s place is pitch dark, but I haven’t seen any taxi or car service come by and she didn’t call or text. She may still be next door.”

Blair nodded. They sat quietly for a few minutes.

“Do you think she’ll want to see me?” Blair whispered, her anxious fingers picking invisible lint from her jeans. 

Mrs. Garrett brought her in for a side hug. “I think…” she began in a soft voice, “...that you might be the only person she wants to see right now.”

Blair turned and flashed Mrs. Garrett a thankful smile. Mrs. Garrett chuckled as she squeezed the blonde tightly one more time. “Wear a jacket, it’s cold out.”

Blair nodded as she stood to grab her coat and leave.

“Blair?” Mrs. Garrett called worriedly as the blonde looked for footwear in her closet.

“Yes, Mrs. Garrett?” came the muffled reply as Blair's voice was drowned out by all the clothes in her walk-in closet.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Blair chuckled. “Sorry for what?” She peeked her head through the door, an amused smile on her face.

“Years ago, Jo...when she…”

Concerned, Blair furrowed her eyebrows, Mrs. Garrett was never one to mince words.

“Well, when she hit you after questioning her religion.”

“Oh, that.” Blair bowed her head. She didn’t like talking about that incident.

“Yes, that,” Mrs. Garrett acknowledged. She patted the mattress next to her, motioning for Blair to come sit again.

The blonde dejectedly walked towards the older woman.

“Blair, when I went upstairs to talk to you that day, I...I made you feel guilty for speaking your mind. I don’t think I addressed the fact that Jo should’ve never laid her hands on you.” She watched as Blair was once again pulled anxiously at imaginary lint.

“Mrs. Garrett, if it’s alright with you, I’d rather not talk about this?” she pleaded, looking toward the redhead. “It was a long time ago, and Jo and I have come a long way...barring today,” she stated the last part with a smirk. 

Mrs. Garrett chuckled. She lovingly brushed back some of Blair’s golden locks. “You really have come a long way. I’m very proud of you. I’m proud of all my girls. And I just wanted to say I was sorry. Sometimes, I don’t always get it right.”

“Of course, Mrs. Garrett. We all make mistakes. Even I do...and I’m perfect!” she teased.

Mrs. Garrett let out a hearty laugh. “Come here you.” She hugged the blonde once more. “I love you, you know that?”

“I do. And I love you too, Mrs. Garrett.”

* * *

Jo sat in Dani’s darkened living room. Her gaze focused on the half filled beer bottle that sat in front of her on the edge of Dani’s coffee table. Small droplets of condensation had formed on the outside and were slowly making their way onto the table’s surface. As the day’s events continued to flood her mind, she shook her head and let out a frustrated sigh. A small tear escaped her eyes, mimicking the bottle’s sweating. She angrily wiped her cheek. 

She grabbed the bottle and took a hefty swig. She winced as the already lukewarm liquid coated her throat. This was her third bottle, one she let get warm and didn’t drink it, the other she angrily hurled across the room and this one was on its way to being ‘not safe for consumption’ as it too was losing its cool frothy taste.

“Three beers and I’ve only taken two swigs. Great, I don’t even know how to drink anymore,” she muttered angrily.

She heard someone jiggling the front door’s lock and prayed it wasn’t Dani. She had made a mess of the kid’s living room and had yet to clean it up. Jo also hoped it wasn’t Blair, not because she didn’t want to see her, but because she wouldn’t know what to say to the blonde. Her musings were cut short when she heard quiet footsteps behind her and Blair’s unmistakable aroma filled her senses.

As the stench of cheap alcohol lingered in the air, Blair worriedly looked around the room. Squinted eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. “You didn’t go home,” she whispered cautiously.

Jo just shook her head.

“May I sit?” Blair asked, her voice filled with trepidation.

Jo’s gaze finally met the blonde’s. “Of course,” came her quiet reply.

Blair sat on the couch, about a foot between them, hands on her knees. Meeting Jo’s troubled gaze, she gave an uneasy smile.

“I couldn’t go home,” Jo admitted, her voice still quiet, and slightly hoarse.

Blair nodded.

“Blair, I…” The brunette trailed off. “It’s like this…”

The blonde slowly reached out her hand and tenderly clasped Jo’s in her own. Jo’s eyes drifted to their locked hands and back to meet Blair’s loving gaze.

“I’m sorry I scared you today.” The brunette’s voice cracked and tears gathered in her eyes.

Blair simply nodded.

“Blair, you’re...you’re the most important person in the world to me. And today, when...when I saw the same look of fear in your eyes…” She shook her head. “I could never...I would never lay my hands on you Blair. I know I did when we were younger and...I have regretted that day ever since. I would never, you gotta believe me that I would never.”

“I do, Jo.”

“He would uh…” Jo swallowed thickly. “...make me look at myself in the mirror after he would hit me and...you had the same look in your eyes that I would have in mine. I don’t want to be like him, Blair.”

Blair moved closer to the brunette and hugged her close. “You’re nothing like him, Jo.”

Jo shook her head before pulling back to face the blonde. “I am like him. I’ve yelled at you. I’ve said mean, disparaging things. It’s not okay.”

“No.” Blair tilted her. “It’s not okay,” she conceded. “But, you’ve been through a real traumatic experience.”

“It’s no excuse,” Jo argued.

“I know,” she whispered. “But Jo, I think...” She let out a worried sigh.

“I should get help?” Jo gave her an understanding smile.

“It doesn’t have to be at the center. Anywhere...anywhere you choose,” Blair spoke hurriedly.

Jo chuckled. It was obvious the blonde was trying to get her to commit to seeking help before Jo could change her mind. “I’ll get the help. I promise.”

Blair smiled brightly.

After a few minutes of lovingly staring at each other, they sat back on the couch huddled together, the sides of their heads touching, and their hands interlocked. Blair had turned on Dani’s TV and picked one of the smart apps to play soft music. The light glow from the screensaver and the soothing melodies in the background helped to ease some of the somber mood Blair had walked in on.

“What’s up with the jeans?” Jo asked.

Blair smirked. “I was stressed. I wanted to go riding.”

“Did you?”

Blair shook her head. “I was too sad,” she playfully whined. Jo chuckled and didn’t dare look the blonde’s way. Jo didn’t think she would be able to resist the urge to kiss the blonde if she found her wearing one of her cute little pouts. 

“Too sad, huh?” she asked. 

Blair nodded.

“You look very pretty,” Jo whispered shyly.

Blair smiled at the compliment. “Thank you.”

Jo sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Blair turned her head to look at the brunette.

“I just…” Jo shook her head. She had been thinking about how she and Blair would never be more than friends. Of course she couldn’t tell the blonde that, instead she pointed out, “I made a mess of Dani’s place.”

“Oh, we’ll clean it up.” Blair brushed it off. The young woman wasn’t due home for a few weeks. Her brother had left on a trip for work and she opted to stay at his place so Jo could have more privacy.

“Jo,” Blair began, “...just so you know, I selfishly want you with me all the time.” Her gaze lowered as she nervously played with her and Jo’s interlocked fingers. “...but, I do know you have a home.” She flashed Jo a small smile. “And if you want to go back, I’ll understand. I can beef up security for you and…”

“It’s not my home anymore,” Jo stated sadly.

Blair furrowed her eyebrows. “Did that sleaze make you sign something over to him? Because I will make sure…”

“No, no. Nothing like that,” Jo hastened to clarify, a small smile on her face. She loved when Blair was ‘angry’. It was adorable.

Blair was confused.

“It’s…” Jo let out an uneasy breath. “It’s like when I’m there, everything is unreachable. I look at everything, and I know it’s my lamp, and my couch, and my bed, and my TV, but...everywhere I look he’s tainted it. And I’m...I’m constantly in this darkened hallway and I’m running. Sometimes it’s toward you, sometimes Mrs. Garrett or my mom, or Toot and Nat. And, he’s…” She licked her lips. “He’s always right behind me. I can’t see him, but...I hear him and I smell him…” her voice cracked. “His breaths are always so hot and…” She closed her eyes and labored breaths escaped her. “He always stinks.”

Tears gathered in Blair’s eyes as Jo seemed to be lost in a horrible flashback.

“And he laughs. It’s not a soothing laugh, not like yours, it...I feel sick when I hear it. I want to throw up. And, if I can just get to one of you guys, but...I never can...I just keep running and running and it’s just dark. After a while I just get so tired and so, I lay down. The ground is always so cold and hard, but he doesn’t...he doesn’t bother me when I’m down...as long as I don’t go to sleep. I can’t...I can’t ever go to sleep, or he’ll hurt me.” She let out a whimpered cry.

Blair brought her in for a hug as she placed soothing kisses in her hair, her cheeks, her forehead. “You’re safe now. You’re safe now,” she repeated over and over again in between each kiss as she continued to pepper Jo’s face with them.

After a while, Jo pulled away, slightly embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Blair tenderly dried the brunette’s cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. Jo closed her eyes and leaned into the affectionate caress. Blair smiled at the action. This was her Jo.

“Dance with me?” the blonde whispered abruptly.

“What?” Jo chuckled.

“Dance with me?"

“Blair,” Jo protested, shaking her head. “You know I don’t dance.”

“You took a ballroom dance class in college,” the blonde playfully questioned with lifted eyebrows.

“That was different,” Jo lamely argued, and yet she couldn’t hide her smirk much longer, the prospect of dancing with Blair exciting her just a bit.

“How?”

“For one thing, Dani’s living room isn’t a ballroom.”

“I don’t want to waltz the night away, Polniaczek, I want one slow dance to our song.”

“We have a song now?” Jo chuckled.

“No,” Blair smirked, “which is why we need to dance to one and make it ours. All best friends have songs.”

“Noooo.” Jo shook her head. “I think couples have songs, best friends...not so much.”

“Tootie and Nat have a song,” Blair defended.

“They do?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?” Jo questioned with a crooked grin.

"Careless Whisper,” Blair confirmed, mumbling. Her eyes wouldn’t meet Jo’s gaze, a telltale sign she was lying.

“Careless Whisper is Toot and Nat’s song?” Jo pursed her lips, her cheeks beet red as she tried to contain her amusement.

“Yes.”

“I’m going to call them and find out because…” Jo reached for her cell phone. “...I think you’re fibbing, Warner.”

“Please, don’t call them!” Blair jumped up to try to grab Jo’s phone, but the brunette was quicker.

Jo was off the couch and on the other side of the room, an amused smile adorned her face. “Hey, Toot.” She pointed to the phone letting Blair know the younger woman had picked up.

Blair bit her lower lip to try to hide her own smirk.

“I’m good, good. I miss you too. Sure. Sure. Listen, Toot...do you and Nat have a song?” 

Blair could hear Tootie’s muffled voice on the other end.

Jo continued, “A song, a song. You know, like _couples_ have. No?” Jo shook her head towards Blair when Tootie confirmed her suspicions. “Huh, that’s odd. Well, because Blair thought you had one.” 

_'For shame,'_ Jo mouthed towards Blair. Blair shook her head and rolled her eyes. 

“Listen, Toot, gotta let you go. Talk soon. Okay, bye.” Jo hung up. “The jig is up, Warner.”

“Okay, fine. I lied,” she admitted, her chin and nose tipped up haughtily. “They don’t have a song.”

Jo crossed her arms and brought her right hand up to cover the smile on her mouth.

“Will you just dance with me?” the blonde almost whined.

“Yes, I will dance with you,” Jo conceded as she closed the distance between them. She took Blair’s hands in her own and led them to the other side of Dani’s coffee table, where there was more room. 

Blair let go of Jo’s hands for a more preferred method of dancing as she brought her hands up to wrap around the back of Jo’s neck. The brunette’s hands instinctively fell to the blonde’s waist. Blair gave her a soft smile and Jo swallowed thickly at the action as her thumbs fiddled with the belt loops around Blair’s jeans.

“So, is this our song?” Jo whispered in regards to the unknown tune that was softly playing in the background.

Blair furrowed her eyebrows and listened to the lyrics. “No,” she shook her head.

“So, are we just going to keep dancing till one comes on that inspires you?” 

Blair giggled. “Just so you know, I have a song for us. I have actually heard it in my car several times and always think, that should be mine and Jo’s song.”

Jo smiled. “So you just drive around thinking about me all day?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Polniaczek. In between my very busy day, you’re a fleeting thought here and there.”

Jo chuckled. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, blondie.”

Blair winked at her before closing the gap between them by leaning her head against the brunette’s shoulder. “It’s the third one on this playlist,” she whispered.

Jo smiled as they danced quietly to the two songs Blair duped her into dancing to, before ‘their’ song came on. As Cathy Heller’s song, _Count on Me_ started to play, Blair’s melodic voice quietly filled the air.

 _“_ _When you just can't sleep_

_When you're counting sheep_

_I'll be here for you, I'll be here for you_

_When you need to talk_

_Take a good long walk_

_I'll be here for you, I'll be here for you_

_Of all the people on the planet,_

_If I had my choice I couldn't have planned it better than this_

_It doesn't get better than this…”_

As the song continued, Jo pulled Blair tightly to her, she tried to control the tears that gathered in her eyes.

Blair closed her eyes, her voice no longer singing as she held onto Jo.

_“When I'm feeling down_

_When I'm in the lost and found_

_You will come for me, You'll be there for me_

_When I lose sight of me_

_You hold up a mirror so I can see_

_You remind me, You'll be there for me…”_

Jo pulled back to stare at soft brown eyes with little green and gold flecks. “Thank you,” she chokingly whispered.

“Anytime,” Blair whispered back. “I love you, Jo.”

_“When it's time to celebrate, you're the one leading my parade_

_With pink balloons and rainbow confetti, when I need you you're always ready_

_You're there for me and I'm there for you_

_La, la, la, Count on me, Count on me_

_La, la, la Whatever you need, whatever you need_

_Count on me, you can count on me”_

* * *

Natalie sat at her dining room table furiously typing away on her laptop and biting the pencil in her mouth. She told herself that she kept it within reach to scratch out notes or write down ideas as they came, but she knew it was really a nervous habit she had picked up as a teenager. The writer had a deadline to meet and her muse had finally struck. 

Her cell phone rang and she distractedly picked it up. “Hello?” The pencil fell from her mouth.

_“We should have a song.”_

Natalie rolled her eyes as she continued to type. “Tootie, what’s this about?”

_“Nothing, can’t a best friend call another best friend and suggest they have a song?”_

“No, that’s weird.” Natalie hit the backspace a few times.

_“Jo and Blair have a song.”_

“They do not.”

_“Yes they do, Jo told me so.”_

“Jo? Our Jo? Jo Polniaczek?”

_“Yes!”_

Natalie shook her head. “They do not. And if they do, that’s Blair’s doing and you know Jo just goes along with it.”

_“Well, so let’s have one too.”_

Natalie let out an exasperated sigh, her attention no longer on the screen in front of her. “We don’t need to do everything they do. I’ve told you a thousand times. It’s not a competition.”

_“I know, but…”_

“Do you and Jeff have a song?” Natalie questioned.

_“No.”_

“Great, start with him and we can circle back to this. I have a deadline, Tootie. We’ll talk later. Kisses to my unborn niece.”

 _“How do you know it’s going to be a girl?”_ Tootie smirked on her end.

“Trust me Toot. I’m never wrong about these things. Goodnight.” She went back to typing.

* * *

Tootie hung the phone and smiled towards Jeff as she cuddled closer to him. They were in bed, watching one of their favorite late night talk shows.

A few minutes later she heard her cell phone ping with a new text message. She smiled when she read it. 

_‘Fine, what song?’ - Nat_

* * *

**Domestic Violence Quote: "Sometimes the shame is not the beatings, not the rape. The shaming is in being asked to stand judgment."**

**Meena Kandasamy, When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Facts of Life, Sony, or any of their affiliates, characters and/or settings portrayed in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **Trigger Warning:** **This story touches upon Domestic Violence in several aspects (emotional, financial, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). Please read at your discretion.**

**_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis on a word_ **

**AN: A huge thank you to Birograce for being such an awesome beta.**

* * *

“What are we watching?” Tootie asked as she leaned over and picked up the remote. 

“Something action packed,” Natalie suggested.

Tootie and Natalie had come to visit Jo and Blair for a girls’ weekend. It was a suggestion from Jo’s therapist, whom she had been seeing the past few weeks. She had no problem with the idea, since she missed her younger friends. Her therapist had also suggested she talk to them about what happened with Robert. It would be a good exercise to tell people that loved her on her own terms, before her court date. She planned to bring it up tonight. 

Dani trotted down the stairs. “Okay, Avery is down for the night.” She was at Blair’s, the blonde and Jo were going to babysit while she went out.

“Where are you going?” Blair got up from the couch and met the girl near the bottom of the staircase.

“Out.”

Blair put her hands on her hips. “I know out. Out where?”

“Side,” came Dani’s smart aleck reply. 

Chuckles were heard from the other occupants in the living room, except Mrs. Garrett. The older woman shook her head. _Rookie mistake Blair._

Blair shot daggers toward the younger three. Especially Jo, who was supposed to back her up. She motioned for the brunette to come over. 

“Blair,” Jo began to protest, but the blonde’s face left no room for arguing.

Natalie and Tootie shared a look when Jo got up and walked toward Dani.

“Look, can you just tell her where you’ll be so I can return to my regularly scheduled program?” Jo leaned against the banister.

“No, because she won’t let me go,” the curly haired brunette argued.

“I will too let you go,” Blair defended.

“Fine, I’m going to a strip club in my old neighborhood, then spending the night at a motel with Angel.”

Blair’s eyes opened widely. Jo pursed her lips.

“Now you know. Can I go?” Dani asked.

“Sure,” Jo gave her permission.

Dani smiled and started to leave.

“Jo,” Blair protested.

“What?” Jo chuckled.

“Do you think...I mean…” Blair was at a loss for words. A strip club and a run down motel in Brooklyn. Seriously?!

“Oh come on, we went to a strip club with Mrs. Garrett. _'Mr. Perfect'_ was the main attraction,” Jo reminded the blonde.

Dani’s ears perked up at this new piece of information. “You…” She pointed to Blair. “...went to a strip club? No freakin’ way!” She smiled from ear to ear.

“Out of that whole group and Blair’s the one that shocks her,” Natalie mumbled. 

Tootie slapped Natalie’s knee. _“Stop,”_ she mouthed. Natalie shrugged.

Blair’s face was flush. “It was a very long time ago and…”

Dani was enjoying this. “No, no, no.” She wagged her finger in front of Blair’s face. “You’re not getting out of this one.” Her shit eating grin lit up the room. “We _must_ have details, Miss Warner.”

“It’s getting late. You should go.” Blair pushed Dani toward the door. “Don’t want to keep Angel waiting.” 

“Oh, now she’s worried about Angel,” the young woman mumbled right before she left, a huge smile still plastered on her face.

“And you?” Blair pointed toward Jo as soon as the door closed behind Dani. “You traitor,” she accused.

“What?” Jo shrugged innocently.

“You know I don’t like her hanging out with Angel,” Blair reminded her. “Especially not at some run down strip joint in their old neighborhood and then some sleazy motel.”

Jo sighed. “He’s a good kid. I’m not going over this again with you.”

“Good kid? Do ‘good kid’s’ take innocent young women to motels?”

“Blair, she was clearly yankin’ your chain,” Jo informed. “But if they are going to a motel, it’s their business.”

Before Blair could argue back, Dani popped her head through the front door. “Snoots?”

Blair turned, a little surprised to see the girl.

“We’re going to catch a movie and then a bite to eat at an all night diner.” Dani smiled softly. “No motel.”

“Will you be back tonight?” Blair asked, her voice full of concern.

“If it’s too late, I can stay at Angel’s. His mom will be there and she and I share her bed while he sleeps on the couch, I promise.” She crossed her heart for good measure. Blair nodded and asked for Dani to text her throughout the night.

The young woman said her goodnights and left to meet Angel.

“You know, I always thought Jo would be the stricter parent and Blair the softie,” Natalie commented, Tootie nodded her head in agreement.

“Why would...I mean...why would you think about Blair and I’s parenting styles?” Jo said a little defensively.

“I think about all of our parenting styles. Especially now that Tootie’s pregnant.” Natalie furrowed her eyebrows. _What the hell is going on with her tonight?_ Jo had been snappy ever since they got there.

“Right. Sorry,” the brunette mumbled as she took her seat once again.

“Okay,” Tootie spoke trying to ease back some of the tension. “We’ve got a few choices,” she started to read some of the categories from the screen. “Drama, romance, comedy, horror, suspense.”

“I vote for suspense,” Natalie suggested as she leaned over and stole a chip from the snacks on the coffee table.

“Horror,” Jo advised. “What about you, Mrs. G?”

“Bed.” Edna Garrett stood from the lounge chair. She was exhausted and just wanted to lie down.

 _‘No’s, aww’s, and come on’s’_ were heard from all four of the younger women.

Edna shook her head. “We’ve been up since early picking Tootie up from the airport, unpacking, running errands, dinner. I’m beat.”

“Goodnight, Mrs. Garrett...Mrs. G.”

The older woman chuckled at the garbled mix of goodnights she received from the girls before heading upstairs and turning in for the night.

“So romance.” Blair smiled.

Jo rolled her eyes. “We did not settle on romance.”

“Fine, so let’s pick something already.” Blair kicked off her heels, lifted her legs onto the couch, and side tucked them under her skirt as she cuddled back against Jo. 

Tootie was on the far left of the couch, Blair in the middle and Jo on the right. Natalie sat in the recliner, near Tootie’s end. 

The brunette swallowed thickly at the contact from Blair. Her eyes nervously darted toward Natalie and Tootie. The younger two hadn’t noticed, or didn’t seem to care.

“Okay, how about a drama?” Natalie asked as she got up to turn off the lights.

Tootie nodded in agreement, but Jo wasn’t having it.

“Oh God, this is why we can’t watch movies together,” Natalie grumbled. She found a pen and paper and wrote down the names of a few movies that were up on the screen. She dropped them in the empty popcorn bowl and told Tootie to pick.

“Why does she get to choose?” Jo pursed her lips. She loved messing with Natalie.

The writer gave her the evil eye. “You’ve been hanging around Blair too long,” she teased. “You’re starting to whine like her.”

“I am officially offended,” Blair let it be known.

“As am I.” Jo pointed to herself.

“Hey.” Blair leaned her head back against Jo’s chest to catch the brunette’s eye. Jo winked at her, Blair smiled. As she burrowed deeper into Jo’s chest, a sigh of contentment escaped the blonde’s lips. Jo smirked to herself proudly when she heard it. 

"And the winner is...'Enough'," Tootie announced after drawing the title from the bowl dramatically.

Blair’s eyes went wide as she quickly sat up. “That’s an old movie. Let’s watch something else.” She reached for the bowl to draw another name.

“No!" Tootie playfully slapped Blair’s hands away. “I love this movie. Besides, I haven't seen it in forever and it’s great when she kicks her abusive ex’s ass!”

“Hear, hear!” Natalie lifted her beer bottle in the air and toasted mockingly. 

“I know, but…” Blair began, Jo tenderly grabbed her arm. _“It’s okay,”_ she mouthed. She patted her chest and motioned for Blair to lay back down. The blonde smiled softly at the invite. She eased back against Jo’s chest and decided to enjoy the company she was in.

As the movie played, Jo seemed fine. It wasn’t until the first scene where the main protagonist’s husband began to physically abuse her, that Blair felt the brunette go rigid underneath her. The blonde started to trace soft patterns across Jo’s jean clad thighs in order to try to ease some of the brunette’s tension. 

“Oooo, let me get in on some of that action.” Tootie kicked off her slippers and put her feet up on Blair’s lap. Her ‘dogs’ were killing her. They had done a lot of walking today and being pregnant didn’t help.

Jo pursed her lips when she felt Blair deflate at having to stop massaging her to do Tootie’s feet instead. 

As the movie continued, Jo became more distressed. “I uh...I’m going to make some popcorn,” she mumbled. She lifted Blair off of her and hastily made her way to the kitchen.

“I’d better go help her.” Blair removed Tootie’s feet from her lap as she got up to follow Jo. 

Tootie frowned that her massage was no more. “Whatever happened to ‘no tricky sauce’?” she teased in regard to Blair helping Jo with the popcorn. Blair had ribbed her in the past about the uncomplicated process of making the microwaveable snack. 

Blair hesitated. “I uh…”

“You actually used the term ‘no tricky sauce’?” Natalie shook her head, amused. “I love your _Texas-isms_.” 

Tootie chuckled. “Oooo, bring me back something to drink,” she requested from Blair, her attention back on the movie.

“Sure, what would you like?” Blair asked.

“A Coke,” Tootie said.

Blair raised her eyebrows. “Aren’t you supposed to limit your caffeine, mommy-to-be?”

Tootie rolled her eyes. “Fine, lemonade.”

Natalie laughed at the dejected look on her best friend’s face.

“Nat?” Blair checked.

“I’m good, thanks.”

Blair nodded and rushed toward the kitchen. She was concerned about Jo.

* * *

She found the brunette over the sink, eyes closed, breaths shallow, body shaking while her hands deathly gripped the edge of the countertop.

“Jo.” She lightly touched the brunette’s arm. Jo jumped back afraid.

“I’m sorry.” Blair put her hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry.” 

The brunette let out an exasperated sigh as she walked away from Blair toward the other side of the kitchen. She furiously paced back and forth, hands on her hips. She was angry and frustrated that she couldn't even watch a movie without thinking about Robert.

“I knew we shouldn’t have watched that movie,” Blair began. “And, I know you wanted to tell them about Robert tonight, but you don’t have to. We can skip it, or I can…”

Jo cut the blonde off, “How come you’re the expert on all things domestic abuse all of a sudden? Huh?!” If looks could kill, Blair would be dead.

Blair shook her head. “What?”

“Yeah…yeah...” Jo motioned angrily toward Blair. “All of a sudden you’re...you’re this goddamn domestic violence guru.”

Blair swallowed thickly.

Jo’s voice went up an octave to mock Blair’s own, “ _I knew we shouldn’t have watched the movie. You just need time to heal, Jo. Therapy is a good thing. It’s only been a few sessions. The investigation will be over soon and everything will be fine. Perfect, perfect, perfect. You don’t have to tell them tonight. I can do it. I’ll do it just like I’ve been doing every other fuckin’ thing for you lately_ ,” Jo ridiculed. “I, I, I. Everything doesn't always have to be about you, Blair!”

Blair held her tongue, her eyes downcast. She was hurt and refused to look directly at Jo.

“I can tell them myself!” The brunette furiously slapped her own chest.

“I know you can,” Blair agreed quietly.

“Do ya? Because it doesn’t seem like it.” Jo marched up to the blonde. “Look at me.”

Blair’s eyes slowly met Jo’s enraged stare.

“I've told you before, if you know so much, then stop pissing me off.”

Blair nodded slowly.

“I could’ve left him on my own too, you know?”

The blonde nodded once again.

“I’m the protector of the group,” Jo defended. “Me. Not you.”

Blair was mute. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She was angry and she really didn’t think Jo was being much of a ‘protector’ at the moment.

“I’ve always been the protector of the group. That’s what all of you expect from me.” Jo leaned in and whispered, her lips just inches away from the blonde’s, “And you may not know it, but I stayed with him to protect you... _princess_ ,” she hissed.

Blair turned her head as she tried to control her breathing. She tightened her hands into fists to help ease her anger.

“So, you think you did a good thing? ‘Saving’ me?” Jo dipped her head to catch Blair’s gaze. “Huh?!” Jo yelled. Tears gathered in her eyes when she noticed soft brown orbs glistening. She pulled back from the blonde’s personal space, closed her eyes and shook her head, disappointed in herself. 

“I’m sorry, Blair,” her voice cracked as she brought up her hand and shamefully cupped her face. “I’m sorry,” she repeated through a choked sob.

Blair quickly pulled Jo in for a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Jo continued to apologize as whimpered cries escaped her. Her body was shaking in the blonde’s arms.

“Shh, shh, shh,” Blair soothed. “It’s okay. I’m here,” she whispered.

“I hate him so much,” Jo cried.

Blair placed a chaste kiss into soft brown locks. “I know. I know you do, sweetie. I do too.” She pulled back and tenderly grabbed Jo’s face, lovingly wiping away the tears that escaped the brunette.

Jo closed her eyes at the soft caresses. She leaned her forehead against the blonde’s as her hands came up and gently wrapped around Blair’s wrists. “I’m such an asshole,” she said softly.

Blair giggled at Jo’s confession, her own eyes closed now. Both of them enjoying the intimate moment.

Jo smiled at the blonde’s cute laugh. “This is where you say, _‘No Jo, I love you, you’re not an asshole’_.”

Blair smirked. “What can I say Polniaczek, when you’re right, you’re right,” the blonde teased as she pulled back. Jo chuckled.

Their gazes met and Jo gently brushed back blonde tendrils. "I'm sorry." Her eyes dropped to Blair’s soft lips and then back to chocolate orbs.

Blair’s breath caught in her throat at the lust filled stare. _This is shaky ground, Warner. You and Jo are friends. She is going through a lot. Don’t cross a line that you won’t be able to…_

“Blair…” Jo leaned in, their lips inches apart as she felt the blonde’s breaths quicken.

“Tootie wants to know if you…” 

At Natalie’s voice, Jo and Blair hastily broke apart. Blair fidgeted with her blouse as Jo turned and nervously rubbed the back of her neck.

“...drove to the farm to pick the lemons,” Natalie finished her statement, brows furrowed suspiciously toward Jo and Blair.

“Jo had something in her eye.” Blair pointed to the brunette, who now stood behind her, hands shoved into her back pockets, head turned to avoid Natalie's dubious stare. 

Natalie nodded as she walked to the cabinets to grab a glass.

“I was getting it out,” the blonde nervously continued. 

Jo pursed her lips to try to contain her laughter, her eyes still anywhere but on Natalie.

“No, yeah, I...I got that,” Natalie stated as she placed the glass on the fridge door’s ice maker. The loud noise from the machine crushing the ice and then dropping into the crystal drinkware made an already awkward situation worse.

“So we’ll uh, see you out there...I guess,” Blair stuttered as Natalie poured Tootie’s lemonade. 

Natalie’s eyes opened wide as she slowly nodded toward the blonde. “You sure will.”

Jo couldn’t hold it in any longer and let out a chuckle. Blair’s eyes worriedly landed on the brunette. Natalie shook her head amused as she walked back to the living room.

As soon as Natalie was on the other side of the kitchen door, Jo doubled over with laughter.

“It’s not funny,” Blair tried to insist. "Jo!" she chastised when the brunette continued her fit of laughter.

* * *

“Where are Frick and Frack?” Tootie asked as Natalie handed her her drink.

Natalie didn’t hear the question, her mind preoccupied as she stared toward the kitchen door.

“Nat?” 

“Huh?” She finally looked toward Tootie.

“Jo and Blair?” Tootie asked, eyes questioning.

“Oh, uh...they’ll be out in a minute,” she mumbled, her eyes floated toward the kitchen door one last time before she sat down and tried to pay attention to the movie.

* * *

Blair fluttered anxiously about the kitchen looking for a bag of microwaveable popcorn. She found a bag and tore open the plastic cover. 

Jo watched her intently. Blair’s sudden mood change since Natalie left the kitchen was confusing her. For a minute there it looked like Blair wanted to kiss her. Then Natalie interrupted them and now Blair was acting as if nothing had happened. She wondered if she was misreading the signals. She’s never really pursued a woman before, and Blair has always been very tactile throughout their relationship. _Maybe, Blair was just being Blair?_

The brunette sighed. _No, this was different...and I’m determined to find out._ Jo pushed off the island’s counter decisively and walked up behind Blair. 

“You’re doing it wrong,” she husked in the blonde’s ear.

Blair jumped at the statement and Jo's unabashed behavior. ”I...I am?” She stammered. 

Jo grinned at the woman’s reaction. “Mmhmm.” She nuzzled her nose against the blonde’s soft locks. She discreetly breathed in the soft scent of Blair’s shampoo.

“I uh…” Blair tried to move from Jo’s embrace.

The brunette’s arms came up to grab the kitchen’s marble countertop on either side of the blonde’s waist, effectively ‘trapping’ Blair in. "What's the matter?"

"Nuh...nothing." 

“Oh, good," Jo stated, her nose still nestled deeply in golden tresses. "You have to stop it after about two minutes,” she motioned toward the microwave, her head now nestled in the crook of the blonde's neck.

“Jo, I don’t think…”

“Don’t think what?” she murmured into Blair’s nape before placing a gentle kiss on her soft, sweet smelling skin.

“That we should be doing this.” Blair drew in a shaky breath.

“What?” Jo smirked. “Teaching you how to make the best popcorn ever?”

Blair closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, she could feel the brunette’s own soft respiration on her neck. 

“Okay, it’s been two minutes,” she spoke trying to get the brunette to focus. She fumbled with the microwave’s stop button. “Now what?”

“Take it out and give it a good shake,” Jo husked. “Be careful though…” she continued, “...because it’s hot. I wouldn’t want you to get burned,” she warned seductively.

Blair’s breaths quickened as she felt Jo’s lips graze her ear. Her hands trembled as she removed the bag. 

“Jo…” she whispered as a quiver ran through her body. She closed her eyes once again to try to gain her bearings.

Jo smiled triumphantly at the effect she was clearly having on the blonde. She didn’t know what was going on between them, but there was definitely something there, and not just friendship.

“Do I put it back now?” Blair asked, eyes still closed. She was aware of the shift in the air.

Jo swallowed thickly. "Uh..." She too was very aware of the intimate moment. “Yeah,” came her soft spoken response, her boldness from earlier waning. “For uh...another two minutes.” 

Blair put the bag back in and restarted the microwave. She was counting to ten in her head. _What just happened?_

“I’d better go check on the troops,” Jo quietly spoke as she stepped back a bit. She felt like they needed to separate for a minute before they took it too far, crossed a line that she knew neither of them were ready for just yet. 

She headed toward the living room, but hesitated at the door. “Ummm…” 

Blair met her gaze. 

“I...I think I am going to tell them about Robert tonight,” she stated.

Blair nodded as her eyes broke back toward the microwave. She watched the minutes tick away on the timer.

“I really am sorry I blew up at ya’ before,” Jo felt the need to apologize again.

Blair nodded distractedly, her mind elsewhere.

“You okay?” Jo whispered. 

As another imperceptible nod escaped the blonde, Jo closed her eyes and let out an anxious sigh. She walked back up to the blonde. “Hey.” She carefully turned Blair around so they were facing each other. “Are you sure?” She affectionately grabbed the blonde’s chin.

“Mmmhmm.” Blair nodded. She didn’t trust her voice at the moment.

“Okay…” Jo smiled softly hoping Blair would return it. “...I’ll see you out there?”

Instead of a smile, she just got another nod from the blonde. The brunette headed back to the living room slightly discouraged. 

Blair let out a shaky breath. “Get it together, Blair. You can’t come onto Jo. She’s vulnerable and confused...and _straight_. And you’re a Warner. Warner’s do not fold under pressure. Even when that pressure is hot, sexy brunette’s named Jo Polniaczek.” 

“You’re a Warner.” She found a bowl to pour the newly microwaved popcorn. 

“You’re a Warner,” she reminded herself as she fixed her disheveled hair and clothes.

“You’re a Warner,” she chanted the mantra over and over as she straightened her shoulders and headed back to the living room.

* * *

The rest of the night went off without a hitch. They watched another movie, this time a comedy. The blonde had been cautious of cuddling with Jo upon her return from the kitchen, but the funny movie had helped ease some of the tension between the two.

Natalie was the first to stand up and stretch as the credits rolled. “What are the sleeping arrangements?”

“Well, Mrs. Garrett’s got my room, so I was thinking you and Tootie could grab the guest room and Jo and I could share the pull out?”

The younger two shrugged indifferently, not really caring who went where, but more so wanting to know to be able to finally get some shut eye. 

The four of them easily cleaned up the snacks and dishes, falling into old patterns from when they all worked in the cafeteria as teenagers.

“Goodnight guys,” Tootie said, her eyes puffy. Everyone could tell the young woman was beyond exhausted. This pregnancy was really doing a number on her, and it was only the first trimester.

Natalie nodded her own goodnight to Jo and Blair before she began to follow Tootie up the stairs.

Jo looked frettingly toward Blair. The blonde opened her eyes wide and encouraged Jo to stop the two women.

“Uh…” Jo called up to Natalie and Tootie. They turned around to find a fidgety Jo.

“I uh...I need to talk to ya’.”

The women hurriedly made it back downstairs. Jo seemed upset. They could tell whatever it was Jo had to tell them, it was important.

“I’m going to go check on Avery,” Blair announced once the younger musketeers were sitting. Jo gave her a grateful smile.

“Oh, here.” Jo handed Blair the baby monitor. 

Once the blonde was out of sight, Jo paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. Natalie and Tootie looked on with concern as the brunette kept rubbing her hands together and mumbling to herself.

“Okay, it’s like this…” Jo started to speak. “Uh…” She reached over and grabbed a bottled water she had brought out from the kitchen not so long ago. She took a huge gulp. 

“I broke up with Robert,” she stated after several minutes.

“Oh, Jo, I’m sorry,” came Tootie’s supportive reply. Jo smiled kindly at her younger friend, the baby of their group. Tootie had always had such a positive outlook on life, such a pure heart. She hoped Tootie’s baby would be just like her mama.

“Sorry?” Natalie questioned sharply. “It’s 2 a.m., Jo. I’m sleepy. There are other fish in the sea.” Natalie stood up and patted Jo’s arm. “Go fishing.” She finished off with one her signature smiles, where her cheeks puffed and her eyes would close because of it.

“Natalie!” Tootie chided. “Jo is our friend, clearly this break up has affected her and she needs us.”

Jo shook her head. “No, it’s not like that, I’m not upset...I mean, I am, but not because…”

“I’m going to bed.” Natalie was tired.

“Nat, wait...I need to…” Jo called after the writer.

“We should make s’mores.” Tootie’s eyes were wide with excitement.

“What? No!” Jo’s eyes anxiously bounced between Tootie and Natalie. She had lost control of the situation. 

“S’mores was a bad idea,” Tootie apologized. “It’s this pregnancy, I want to eat sweets all the…”

“I broke up with him because he used to beat me!” the brunette yelled.

Natalie, whose right foot was on the bottom step of the staircase, stopped dead in her tracks.

Jo’s eyes were wide and her breaths labored. She didn’t mean to blurt it out like that.

“What?” Tootie whispered sadly.

“He used to beat you?” Natalie asked, incredulous. Jo was a badass. She would never let a guy hit her.

Tears gathered in Jo’s eyes. She hated the looks of pity she was receiving from her friends.

Tootie stood up and hugged Jo. “We’re here for you. Whatever you need. We’re here.”

Jo was stiff in Tootie’s arms, her eyes focused on Natalie. Tears slowly trailed down the brunette’s cheeks as she watched the look of disappointment on Natalie’s face.

“Jo?” Tootie pulled back from the hug and gingerly wiped the older woman’s cheeks.

Jo nodded.

“It’s going to be alright. Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Nat and I got your back. Whatever you need, you know that, don’t you?

“Mmmhmm.” The brunette couldn’t find her voice.

“What can we do?” Natalie asked from the stairs.

Jo let out a small snivel as she wiped her nose. “I um,” she stuttered timidly, “...have a court date coming up in about a month. They may call you guys to testify about…”

“We didn’t know he was abusing you!” Natalie snapped. 

Tootie furrowed her eyebrows at the unusual behavior. “Natalie!” she scolded.

“Well, it’s true. Did she ever once call you to tell you, ‘Hey, my boyfriend’s an asshole. I need your help!’?”

“Natalie,” Tootie repeated a little quieter. She could tell this was making Jo even more upset.

“I didn’t need your help!” Jo roared. “I just want you to tell the court that when I started dating him our relationship suffered because of it. I stopped calling, inviting you over, that’s all!”

“Jo.” Tootie tried to calm the brunette down.

“That’s all?” Natalie asked. 

Jo swallowed thickly because the question was loaded. Filled with hurt and disappointment. She had let Natalie down. However, she couldn’t deal with this right now. ”That’s all,” she confirmed.

“Great. Won’t be hard to tell the truth. Goodnight.” Natalie stomped her way upstairs.

Tootie shook her head at her best friend’s attitude. “She’ll come around, Jo. You’ll see. She’s tired and you know how she gets when she’s tired.”

Jo smiled at her younger friend. “Don’t ever change, Tootie,” she whispered.

Tootie thoughtfully smiled at the older brunette as she leaned in for another hug. “Everything will work out. You’ll see,” she said softly. “Do you want me to call Blair for you?” she asked knowingly.

Jo chuckled as she hugged the girl tighter. “You sick of dealing with me?”

Tootie giggled as she pulled back, she wiped away a few more stray tears from Jo’s eyes. “Never, but I have to face facts...Blair is your ride or die.”

Jo winked at her.

They said their goodnights and Tootie went to fetch Blair for Jo.

The blonde came down minutes later, already in her pajamas. She smelled of perfume, mint toothpaste, and night cream. Jo swallowed thickly, thoughts of her youth flooded her mind. She realized how safe she felt just by the smell of Blair’s nightly potions. Since the blonde had been staying at Dani’s, she hadn’t really been putting on any face creams. Jo missed the familiar smell.

“How’d it go?” Blair asked.

“Uh…” Jo shook her head. “Pretty much how I expected, actually,” she realized.

Blair gave her a sad smile.

“I’m just going to head up to get into my PJs and brush my teeth.” Jo hooked her thumb toward the staircase.

“Okay. I’ll lock up.”

“Thanks.”

While Jo was upstairs, Blair double checked all the windows and doors, then tucked herself under the heavy comforter.

* * *

“Can’t sleep?” Tootie asked her bedmate, who had been tossing and turning for about an hour now.

“No.” Natalie let out an exasperated sigh.

“It’s crazy about Jo, huh?” Tootie asked.

Natalie nodded, her eyes wide and focused on the soft light from the street lamp outside hitting the ceiling in Blair’s guest room.

“Out of all of us, I never thought that Jo would…”

“I’m thirsty. Want something from the kitchen?” Natalie cut Tootie off.

“Uh…” Tootie was startled by the sudden outburst, but not completely surprised. “Some ice-water please,” she requested, knowing that her best friend was still processing. Natalie had always looked up to Jo, they all had. It was hard to see their friend so vulnerable, so broken. 

“I’ll be back.” Natalie tossed the covers aside, eased into her slippers and headed down to the kitchen.

* * *

The writer tiptoed down the stairs, as to not make noise and wake its slumbering inhabitants. Her eyes drifted to the couch, only to find a mop of blonde hair barely peeking out from beneath the blankets. 

“Great.” She sighed, worried that Jo would be in the kitchen. She had acted poorly toward the brunette this evening and she didn’t think she could face her.

"What are you doing up?" she husked when she walked into the darkened kitchen to find Jo sitting at the breakfast table.

"Hot chocolate." Jo smiled tightly as she lifted her mug. “I just heated it up.” She motioned with her head to the stove top where a small saucepan contained the steamy liquid. Mrs. Garrett had made them a fresh batch to accompany their dessert tonight.

Natalie nodded in understanding. She poured herself a cup and joined the brunette at the table. "I forgot how great it was to live under the same roof as Mrs. Garrett."

Jo chuckled. "Hot chocolate on tap." 

"Yeah," the younger woman whispered in agreement.

They avoided each other’s eyes as they sat in awkward silence, deep in thought.

"Go 'head," Jo finally said.

Natalie furrowed her eyebrows.

"Me and Robert?" Jo finally met Natalie's stare. "You're a writer. It's in your nature to be inquisitive."

"Alright," Natalie agreed. She took in a breath, still pensive. "How?"

Jo let out an uneasy sigh. "How would he abuse me?"

Natalie shrugged, not sure that that was really the extent of her question.

Jo nodded. "Slaps, punches, kicks...spankings," she stated the last part embarrassed. Her eyes avoided Nat’s once again. “Among other things.” She let out a self-deprecating laugh. If it was in a text book about abuse, she experienced it.

Natalie shook her head.

"What you thinking about?" Jo asked, knowing Natalie was holding back.

"Jo." She shook her head again, truly perplexed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but…"

The detective looked Natalie’s way. "How could Jo Polniaczek let some guy beat on her?" she voiced what she knew Natalie was thinking. "Sorry to disillusion you Nat, but even the 'great Jo Polniaczek' is a weakling sometimes."

"Nah." Natalie shook her finger toward Jo a few times. "There's something…something else. He’s got to have something on you, or..." she trailed off, uncertain. She shook her head, still baffled at the whole thing.

Jo sighed, her eyes not able to meet Natalie’s stare anymore. "What if there was?" She fidgeted with her mug's handle, or as her Polish grandmother used to refer to it, the ear. "What if there's this horrible, dark secret that he has on me? And that's why I stuck around. Then what?"

"Then nothing," Natalie admitted. 

Jo let out an incredulous chuckle. “That easy, huh?”

"Jo." Natalie reached out for Jo's hand. The older brunette was caught off guard at the action. Their eyes finally met once again.

"Yes, _that easy._ I’m a writer, true...but before all of that...we’re friends. Sisters.” 

Jo nodded as tears gathered in her eyes.

“You're the person I’ve looked up to all my life, Jo. The person who hugged me after I was shaking so bad when Marshall got us into that accident. The person who stood by me when my dad passed away. The person who gave me advice when I lost my virginity."

Jo smiled shyly.

"I know the true you. Maybe there are parts of it that you've kept hidden from us, because you're still trying to figure those parts out for yourself, but nothing some woman beater says will change how I feel about you."

"Even if I tell you that I like women…sexually." She quickly added the last part, which caused Natalie to chuckle. 

"I can read between the lines, Jo." She smiled at the brunette. "And yes..." she squeezed Jo's hand, "...even if."

"Thanks Nat," Jo whispered.

"Anytime." Natalie stood with a groan. Her back was killing her. "Let me take preggers some water. I'm surprised she didn't send out a search party," Natalie grumbled as she walked to the fridge. 

Jo chuckled. "She's milking this pregnancy for all it's worth, huh?"

"Let's just say, it's going to be a _long_ nine months." Natalie pushed the kitchen door open with her butt, Tootie's glass of ice water in one hand.

Jo furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought she was almost three months pregnant?"

"Apparently…” Natalie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "...there's also maternity leave." 

Jo smiled at her friend. 

"Night, Jo."

"Night, Nat…and thanks."

Natalie simply nodded before heading upstairs. 

* * *

“Blair, you awake?” Jo lightly shook the blonde. She was back in the living room and tucked under the covers with the sleeping beauty.

“No,” Blair replied grumpily.

Jo laughed. “You are awake, or you wouldn’t’ve answered my question.”

Blair let out an annoyed huff as she turned toward Jo. “How did the New York Police Department ever get along without you, Detective Polniaczek?” she teased.

“Hardy, har, har.” Jo rolled her eyes. “My feet are cold.” She pushed her feet toward Blair’s own.

“Jooooooo!” the blonde squealed when ‘frozen’ toes touched her bare calves.

Jo laughed lightly at the reaction.

“It’s not funny,” Blair griped. “Besides, how’s it my problem that your feet are cold?”

“It is funny.” Jo lovingly tucked soft blonde locks behind Blair’s ear. “And it’s your problem because they’re never cold when we sleep in the same bed,” she stated softly.

Blair swallowed thickly. “Why...why is that?”

“Because you always want to cuddle.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Blair was skittish.

“Yeah you do, Blair. You _always_ want to cuddle...and tonight, nothing. Why?”

“Jo, I...I don’t think…”

“Why are you avoiding me Blair?”

“I’m not avoiding you. I’m tired. Can’t a person be tired?” Blair turned away from Jo. “If your feet are cold, wear those tacky knee-high socks you always put on.” She closed her eyes and willed her breathing to normalize.

Jo tilted her head at the odd reaction from the blonde. After a few more minutes of Blair ignoring her, she let out a tired sigh, turned face up in bed, and closed her own eyes to try to get some sleep. It had been a long day.

“You know I’m not cold, Blair. I just wanted to cuddle,” Jo admitted into the silence of the night.

Blair smiled at the unusually vulnerable statement from the brunette. “Why didn’t you just ask?” The blonde turned and slipped her body closer to Jo’s. She knew this was dangerous territory, but she had it all under control.

“No, now forget it. I’ll just go find my _tacky_ socks.” Jo crossed her arms.

“Don’t be bratty.” Blair motioned for the brunette to turn so she could embrace her from behind. 

“I thought I told you I did the outside hugging,” Jo argued, but did as she was told.

Blair squeezed her tighter. “Yeah, yeah. I can be the protector too, you know?” She placed a chaste kiss on the brunette’s cheek.

“I know,” Jo whispered, her eyes becoming heavy with sleep as Blair’s fingernails slowly grazed her arm.

“Night, Jo.”

“Night, princess,” she mumbled sleepily.

* * *

**Domestic Violence Quote: “One thing I notice, a person can change everything about themselves, but one thing they cannot change is their character. They can hide in the shadows, but sooner or later, the shadows will eventually fade away.”**

**Charlena E. Jackson, In Love with Blindfolds On**


End file.
